Backlash
by OneCoolBroad
Summary: The word is out about Bram. And people aren't happy... Features Sam/Tina friendship and Blam friendship with a Samcedes core.
1. Chapter 1

**Its been ages since I've posted anything though I read all the time. Turns out the emergence of Bram was a huge motivator. This is my version of how Tina finds out and reacts. I will possibly continue with some Blam friendship... we'll see.**

**Of course I have no part in Glee or any of the vague pop culture references that may appear. Please let me know what you think!**

**Rated T for Tina's potty mouth**

**Samcedes Forever!**

**_Backlash_**

Brittany was having a great day. The sun was shining, Lord Tubbington finally kicked his smoking habit, and she and Sam just became official. Well, not _official_ official; the news hadn't made it's way to Facebook yet—no need to tip off the lesbian bloggers, not to mention one Santana Lopez. For an ex-girlfriend worried about staying faithful while out-of-state, she'd been around an awful lot. It was a bittersweet thing for Brittany because she knew the love between her and Santana was eternal, no matter what Santana feared.

But Brittany loved a lot of things and a lot of people, including Sam. It wasn't the same love she had for Santana, Lord Tubbington, or even unicorns. No, her love for Sam fell somewhere between rainbows and warm cookies. Sam was never mean and was always ready to cheer someone up. He had a quality of honesty and wholesomeness that made her feel warm inside, and let's be honest, his body rolls are something magical. So while Brittany knew this wouldn't be quite the same as last year, she was excited to start her second senior year with Sam by her side. Now it was time to spread the word and she knew exactly who to tell first.

As Brittany bounced down the hallway towards Cheerios! practice in the gym, she spied her out the corner of her eye, "Mercedes! I've been looking for you everywhere!"

"Once again, sweetheart, while Unique is flattered that her aura of fierceness reminds you of the great Mizz Mercedes Jones, she is she and Unique is, well, unique." Unique popped one hip in a pose and tried to keep her exasperation out of her expression.

"...Okay..." It was clear that yet again, Brittany wasn't absorbing the oft-repeated information. "Anyway, I wanted to officially state that Sam and I have entered a romantic partnership and as his former secret lover and my former TroubleTones sister you have the honor to be the first to hear the news!"

Brittany ended her announcement with a wide smile and bounced on her heels while applauding herself excitedly. Unique responded with a tilt of the head and a raised eyebrow. A shocked gasp was heard and both Brittany and Unique turned to see Tina bolt down the hallway, Cheerios! skirt swishing behind her.

Tina was furious. _What kind of fuckery?!... I feel like I've been taking crazy pills! Ooh, he'd better start praying..._

Tina skid to a halt near the front doors. "You!"

Sam, on his way out the building, turned and glanced around the hall. Besides Tina, he was the only one in the hallway.

"Me?" He mouthed, pointing at his chest.

Tina rolled her eyes and sighed. "_Yes._ Follow me. Now."

Sam was confused, and his face made it clear, but he knew that whatever awaited him in the classroom Tina was leading him to would be nowhere near as dangerous as what would happen if he ignored her. The rest of the glee club seemed shocked that Tina had been showing so much attitude since school started but Sam knew better. Mike had been one of his best friends after all, and Tina's best friend was Mercedes so... Yeah, he knew all about her sassy side.

Sam took a seat on an empty desk and Tina stood and glared at him with both hands on her hips. With her uniform on it seemed to Sam that she was channeling her inner Quinn Fabray.

"So...?" Sam started. He really wasn't sure what was going on, but he had a feeling that he should.

"Really?! That's how you want to start this conversation?! I can't believe you, Sam. Brittany? _Really?!_"

_Oh. That's what this is about_. Sam wasn't that surprised that Tina was mad, but he never thought she would confront him. "Yeah. Brittany. I like her. We get each other."

"That doesn't mean you need to date her. I get it. Mercedes is gone and you're lonely. I mean, between you, Brittany, Blaine and me we're a regular lonely hearts club."

"Yeah, but you and Mike are back together." Sam mumbled while looking down at his clasped hands.

"That doesn't mean she doesn't miss you or still love you."

Sam lifted his gaze to Tina's and quirked the corner of his mouth in a sad smile. "Really?"

Tina smiled back sympathetically. "Yeah. We're best friends, remember? She still gushes about you. And when she was back in town she was still wearing your necklace. Don't tell me you didn't notice."

"I wasn't really looking."

Tina rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Bullshit. But that's okay. It did hurt her feelings that you didn't speak though."

"Well, she didn't speak to me either."

"She was scared. She thinks you hate her."

"What?!" Sam was genuinely shocked. "I could never-"

"I know that, and deep down I think she knows it too. But I also know you scare her. You love hard, Sam. That's just the kind of guy you are. When you're in, you're all in and that's what makes you such a great friend and boyfriend. But Mercedes wasn't used to that level of intensity. You were her first real everything and despite being a fabulous diva, she can be really insecure, you know that as well as I do. And no matter how many grand gestures you make, old habits die hard and she thinks you're out of her league."

Sam's gut twisted as he thought of the several secrets he and Mercedes shared with each other during the earliest days of their relationship, now over a year ago. He empathized with her desire to be seen as beautiful. He had always been hyper-aware of how he looked. That was until having somewhere to live became his top priority.

"But if she doesn't believe me, it will never work."

"Sam, you're not listening. She does believe you. But right now, I think the grandest gesture you can give her is time. Keep in touch but don't come on too strong. And I know you're a guy and you like pretty things, but please end this Brittany mess. She's got enough going on and she could really use _friendly_ support. By the way, you don't always need to be in a relationship. Honestly, sometimes I think you think you're Taylor Swift."

"Nope, I'm still crap with female impressions. I can do Taylor Lautner though-" Sam cleared his throat.

"Maybe another time." Tina chuckled. "I've gotta get back to the gym before Coach Sue completely slaughters me." She turned to exit the classroom.

"Hey, Tina?" Sam called after her.

She turned back to face her friend. "Yeah?"

Sam scooped her up in a bear hug. "Thanks." He heard a watery laugh and a sniffle followed by, "No problem."

Sam released Tina to hold her shoulders at arm's length. "Hey, you okay?"

Tina laughed again and wiped her eyes. "Yeah, they're happy tears. I'm a crier. Can't seem to shake it."

Sam smiled back at her, "Strange, but okay."

"Just think about what I said." Tina left quickly to catch whatever was left of Cheerios! practice.

Sam sighed deeply as he headed back to the front doors. He definitely had a lot to think about.

**Should I continue? Multichaps intimidate me...**


	2. Chapter 2

**_Hey guys! Thanks so much for all the reviews, follows, favorites, and hits in general! Your response got me working on a new chapter right away. I'm glad you guys liked Tina, so in the outline I sketched out she shows up at least once more. But for now, here's some Blam friendship. I'm still making decisions on whether/how Sam's relationships with the Hudmels, Santana, his family and Mercedes will appear. I'm going to try and include major plot points from the show (i.e. the wedding) but I'm definitely not going to be too close to the show. Cuz Ryan Murphy doesn't know Samcedes like we do!_**

**_Once again, I'm not affiliated with Glee or any other pop culture references that may appear. Enjoy!_**

**_Chapter 2_**

Sam threw the Xbox controller on the other side of the couch and ran his hands through his hair. Since moving in with the Hudmels Finn had extended an open invitation to his games, something Sam definitely took advantage of after Finn left for the Army.

But after his talk with Tina, all the memories of Mercedes he was trying to repress were brought back to the forefront of his mind. Memories from only a few weeks ago:

_Sam leaned back on the Hudmel's couch, gripping the Xbox controller in his hands while resting his wrists on Mercedes' feet that were propped up on his lap. Finn sat on the armchair next to them, mumbling to himself while frantically rotating the joysticks._

_"Dude, it's super-cool that you've got a girlfriend who doesn't mind you playing video games."_

_Sam smirked, "That's cuz my girlfriend is super-cool."_

_"Damn straight!" Mercedes interjected from behind her copy of _Us Weekly_. "Though it helps that you're playing Call of Duty rather than SuperMario. I can just pretend it's an action movie. Except when there are twelve-year-olds shouting profanities over their headsets. I would play, but I'm crap at them. I blame my small hands."_

_The boys chuckled and shifted their focus back to the television screen. Sam was trying to focus intensely on the game, though every now and then a hand would drift from a controller to squeeze Mercedes' ankle or stroke her calf. He knew that Mercedes did sometimes enjoy watching him play video games, but he knew right now it was just about absorbing each other's presence. He'd been guilty of it too; he accompanied her when she ran errands for her mom and once he even tried going to the hair salon with her but she shut that idea down quickly. They knew their time was running out; the day of Mercedes' departure to the west was rapidly approaching but neither wanted to discuss it. Instead they spent every waking hour together along with the elephant in the room._

A knock on the door broke Sam's reverie. _Did Finn lose his keys again?_ Sam opened the door to reveal Blaine on the front porch, glancing over his shoulder.

"Hey?"

Blaine looked up at Sam distractedly. "Hey... Um, is Mr. Hummel here?"

"Nope, if you want to wait for him you can come inside and hang. I think he's gonna be back from the shop soon."

"Actually, I'd like the opposite of that. Put on your shoes and grab your coat. We're going out."

Sam was a little confused but followed Blaine's directions. As Sam turned off the TV and gaming system he asked, "Should I bring my Blond Chameleon suit? It's right upstairs."

"What?" Blaine replied, glancing over his shoulder again, "Oh. No, this is a whole different kind of an emergency."

Sam scrawled a note and grabbed his house keys, locking the door behind him before rushing off to catch up with Blaine who was already getting in his car.

"Dude, what happened? Is someone hurt?"

"What?" Blaine said again, finally making eye contact with Sam.

"The rushing around, the paranoid glancing, you're clearly distracted... Are you on the run? Oh God, did you kill someone? Wait, no! Don't answer that!"

"Seriously, Sam?" Blaine closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Taking a deep breath he continued, "I'm trying to avoid Mr. Hummel. I figure I'm the last person he'd want to see, you know, after I cheated on his son and everything."

"Ohhh, yeah good call. But for the record if you did kill someone, I'd help you hide the body. No body, no crime."

"Ummm... I'll keep that in mind."

"That's what bros are for."

The pair rode in silence for a few minutes. Sam kept his gaze out the window as he broke the quiet.

"You know, you could have just called."

Blaine blushed lightly and peeked at Sam in his peripheral vision. "I realize that now. But as soon as I heard I rushed over. Habit, I guess."

"As soon as you heard?" Sam looked over at Blaine in confusion, and it was in that moment that he noticed Blaine was still in his Cheerios! uniform. "_God,_ Tina! Can she stop gossiping for like _two minutes_?"

"What do you expect? It's Tina. It's a past-time of her's."

_And Mercedes'._ Sam added mentally. He could remember many an hour where the two would call, text, or huddle together sharing the dish of the day.

Blaine looked at Sam from the corner of his eye again, checking his reaction. His face was guarded. "We're Cheerios! now, so we talk. And if Glee ever gets off the ground again, she's for all intents and purposes the Finn to my Rachel. And FYI: Brittany confirmed it herself."

Sam was silent. In the hour or so since speaking to Tina he had been doing some thinking, but had yet to come to a decision. As much of an impact Tina had made, she did an awful lot of speaking, and not much listening. Now echoes of her riot act clamored in his head.

Sam turned his attention back out the window. "Where are we going anyway?"

"Well first, I want you to appreciate how hard it is to find a place where two guys can go to have fun that's not out in the cold, be able to have a conversation and not look like they're on a date."

Sam laughed, "Okay, so where?"

"Here." They had pulled into a parking lot in front of slightly run-down brick building.

Sam read the faded lettering above the entrance. "Lima has a boxing club?"

"Yup! I discovered it after I left Dalton. McKinley's gym is seriously lacking, and it's kind of nice to go somewhere to let out some aggression without a classmate popping up."

"Cool. But I'm not feeling especially aggressive. I've just got a lot on my mind."

"That's fine. Hitting things helps release a little frustration so your thoughts have the space to get themselves in order. Trust me."

The two teens headed into the gym. Blaine nodded at a couple older guys upon entering and tossed Sam a pair of shorts and a tee shirt he brought from his car. "Don't worry, not everything I wear is small. Now hurry up."

Sam grinned and jogged into the locker room to change. When he returned, Blaine was leaning against a heavy bag with a pair of gloves in a far corner of the room. Sam walked past men and the occasional buff woman working out separately and in groups. He openly gaped at two men sparring in the center ring. _This is too cool_.

Once he reached the punching bag he greeted Blaine with, "Yo, Adrian!" while taking shots at the air.

Blaine gave a soft smile and then began to speak. "Okay Sam, now that you've gotten that out your system, this isn't really about learning to box right now. I just want you to have at it; just do what you feel. I'll spot you— I'm pretty tough despite my size. No worries."

Sam felt a little silly at first, especially in front of so many people who clearly knew what they were doing. But as he scanned the room he realized that they were all focused on themselves and ignoring the boys in the corner. Sam slowly found his own rhythm, progressively increasing his force and breathing deeper. Soon, his surroundings were forgotten and all he could feel was the rhythmic tension and release of muscles and a dull sting in his hands. There was a pressure in his chest that he needed to get out. His pace increased and so did his breath. Sweat formed on his brow. Something was unwinding inside and it was triggering a quiver in the back of his throat. Suddenly, a heave of air escaped Sam, his body hunched over and his arms came up to cover his face. Blaine quickly took hold of the heavy bag to protect Sam from its returning swing. Sam let out a gut-wrenching sob. _There it is_, Blaine thought as he looked on. _Catharsis_.

Sam sank to the floor and continued to weep. Blaine sat down next to him and threw an arm around his shoulder in a not-quite hug. He patted Sam's shoulder and firmly rubbed up and down his back. The crying continued, and Sam turned his head so his forehead rested on Blaine's shoulder, a move that took Blaine by surprise. _So much for not making him look gay. Kidding._

Sam's cries slowed to slow, deep breaths. "I loved her. I still do, but she _dumped_ me. Like seriously left me here. It took me completely by surprise and honestly, I felt abandoned. You know, when I came back to Lima she told me we didn't need to get back together because we already had our season, our 'Summer of Samcedes.' It was a wonderful time that ended because it had to. I think they call it 'bittersweet.'"

Sam had moved his head from Blaine's shoulder, but he continued to look down at the glove-covered hands in his lap. "But this time around it wasn't the same and she just couldn't see that. Or wouldn't. I mean, last time I _had_ to leave; my family needed to go where my dad could make money. But I came back! I got the chance and I jumped on it. I _left my family_ to get back to her!" Sam looked up at Blaine. "I mean, who does that?!"

Suddenly, Blaine felt foolish for complaining about leaving Dalton. Sam turned back to his hands and continued, "This time it could have been different. We knew when she'd be back and her parents aren't going anywhere. But she wouldn't listen. She actually told me I needed to return to Kentucky, and I almost did. But I figured there's no point in starting over in my senior year. And I think I kinda was hoping that on one of these breaks she'd come back with a change of heart."

Sam stayed silent for a while and Blaine did too, methodically rubbing his back again for comfort. Sam took a deep breath and let it out with a sigh. He sat up and shifted his body to keep eye contact with Blaine. He cleared his throat and this time he spoke in a clear, firm voice.

"I like Brittany. She's nice, she's sweet, and sometimes she says things that are wrong or other people don't get, but I always know what she means. Her feelings are honest and true and she needs me like I need her."

From the look in Sam's eyes, Blaine could see that he said all he would for the day. "Come on, let's go. You've got to be exhausted."

Sam hadn't realized it, but he felt emotionally drained. But in a way, he felt better. The teens exited the gym where everyone was still hard at work in his or her own zone. Blaine pulled out the parking lot and headed back toward the Hudmel home.

"I just want to say one thing." Blaine quickly glanced at Sam to check if he was listening. He was. "I've got my own thoughts on this but I'm not going to tell you what to do. You've listened to me vent about my breakup and it was my own fault. Still, you didn't judge me. But I do need to say one thing. It's very easy to see the parallels between your breakup with Mercedes and Brittany's breakup with Santana. But when you say you need each other, you should really think about what you mean. What exactly do you need from her? And what does she need from you? I'd recommend making a list, but I know you hate writing. But really think about it. Pull it apart to the smallest detail. And I know this may be hard for you, but I want you to especially focus on _your_ needs. Because you know you best."

The rest of the ride was silent. When they approached a few houses down from the Hudmel's Blaine threw the car in park.

"I hope you don't mind walking from here, it just... Mr. Hummel knows my car."

"No, its cool." Sam opened the car door and stepped outside. "And thanks for listening."

"Anytime, really. Oh, and one more thing: from what I've seen and heard, you're a 'girlfriend guy'-"

"_I Love You, Man_ reference? Really?"

"Hey! It's a great movie. Anyway, that doesn't always have to be the case. Consider making this winter the 'Season of Sam.'"

Sam smiled with a nod and closed the door behind him. He waved as Blaine turned a tight 'U' back down the street. _Anything to avoid Mr. Hummel, I guess_. Sam slowly walked back to the house and up the porch steps. Once again, he had a lot to think about and his head was already starting to hurt.

**_There you go! Hope I'm still on track. I'll see if I can work in any suggestions if you have them._**

**_Thanks!_**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again! Still so pumped that people are enjoying my story! I haven't had a chance to reply to everyone's reviews like I wanted, but know that every review brightens my day (especially when I'm stuck at work!)**

**No one asked, but here's some timeline info: I'm pretty sure its cannon that Sam asks Brittany out on a Tuesday but I can't remember if she accepts later that day or on another day. Re-watching the episode would hurt my heart too much so in _Backlash_ world it doesn't matter. All that matters is Brittany starts telling people on a Friday, the same day they sing "Don't Dream Its Over" (in the cold, in the middle of the night).**

**This one sets up the "thought process" of Sam's proposal. The actual proposal and wedding happen next chapter (already in the works to avoid being tainted by tomorrow's episode) and then we'll wind down from there.**

**Once again, I am not affiliated with Glee or any pop culture references. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 3**

Sam made it through dinner with the Hudmel's in bit of a haze. Burt noticed Sam's faraway gaze and untouched food and asked, "You okay, Sam?"

Sam's eyes snapped over to Burt's. "Hmm? Oh, yeah. All good."

Burt silently shared a confused look with Carole. She tried engaging her son sitting across from Sam at the table.

"How about you, hon? Everything okay?"

Finn sighed, "Not at all. Coach Sue is determined to make my life hell. She even went so far as to make sure every room in the building was booked for something else at all times of the day! How can she hate glee club that much? We've never done anything to her. Now all the glee club members are joining other clubs and stuff so we'll never get to practice for the holiday concert." Finn stabbed at his plate. "Sam, you're not joining basketball too, are you?" He looked at Sam with a hopeful yet pleading expression.

"Sorry, I'm doing synchronized swimming again this year. I actually had fun last year. But I'm sure everything will be fine." Sam shifted his focus to Burt, "May I be excused?"

"Sure, son."

Sam nodded to both Burt and Carole and bounded up the stairs to take a shower. After washing the grime of the day off his body, Sam stood under the stream of water and allowed its warmth to relax his body and mind. He had no idea asking Brittany to be his girlfriend would bring on this much stress, this soon. _I need some sleep. And I'd better get out of the shower before they think I've drowned or something._

Sam dried off and put on a pair of pajama pants before flopping down on the bed. Before he could get too comfortable, Sam's phone started vibrating on the nightstand. Sam let out a low groan into his pillow. _Not answering. Last thing I need is yet another glee member telling me I'm making a mistake._ The phone stopped moving. Sam let out a sigh. And then the vibrating continued again, inching the phone off the nightstand and onto the floor. _Nope, still not answering._ The phone was silent yet again and Sam started to relax. Some quiet was all he needed. Then his phone chimed. Voicemail. _Why didn't I put it on silent?_ Sam groped along the floor and picked up the phone. Finn's name was on the screen. _If it was important enough for him to leave a voicemail, I'd better listen._

"Hey Sam, guess I missed you. Again. You were in the shower when I left but I got news of a new place for us to practice. If you're ready to keep glee alive, meet me as soon as possible at the courtyard. Okay, bye."

Sam groaned and rolled out the bed. As much as he was frustrated, he still wanted to be able to sing with the glee club.

The next day Sam woke up tired and sore in the afternoon. _Thank God for the weekends._ After singing with the club last night and listening to another classic Finn pep talk, Sam had given Brittany a hug and a peck on the lips, saying he'd talk to her later. Then he had raced home, eager to avoid any comments and Tina's accusing glare.

Sam grabbed his sketchbook, pencils and a bowl of cereal and went to the living room to turn on the TV. Flipping through the channels he reached the Discovery Channel. _Awesome._ Though Sam wasn't a fan of reading he always liked history, especially in documentary format. His favorite class, however, was Art so sketching and watching a documentary was the perfect way to relax and get started on the "homework" Blaine had given him.

Instead of listing the things he liked about Brittany or Mercedes or the things he wanted for himself, Sam drew his feelings. He found that he was enjoying himself but was suddenly pulled out of his zone by his generic ring-tone. Distractedly, he reached for his phone while looking over what he had drawn so far. Amidst love hearts and broken love hearts there was a music staff that turned into a rainbow. There was a unicorn jumping over the rainbow. _So Brittany._ He answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Sam!"

"Hey, Brittany. I was just thinking about you."

"You're so sweet. Anyway, I just wanted to call since you left so quickly yesterday. I would've called earlier, but I've had a crazy morning! I forgot to clean up the fondue pot from my midnight snack last night and when I woke up, it wasn't pretty..."

Sam continued to listen on to Brittany's tale of Lord Tubbington versus the Chocolate Vat of Doom while turning his eyes back to his paper. It was then that he noticed that at the top corner of he page he'd drawn the view of the sunset by the lake he and Mercedes had claimed as their own. And at the bottom of the page, he saw a smile that he recognized too well. Apparently, he had drawn a remarkably accurate portrait of Mercedes without even realizing it.

"Sam? Hello, Sam?"

"Oh, sorry Brittany, got distracted for a second."

"That's okay, it happens to me all the time. I was just asking what you're doing."

"Not much." Sam closed the book on Mercedes' gaze and looked up at the television screen. "Woah, Britt, turn on the your TV. The Discovery Channel has a documentary about the end of the world."

"You mean like those _Left Behind_ books you let me borrow?"

"I guess so, but in the ancient Mayan civilization figured out the exact day. December 21st. _This year!_"

"That's way too soon! There are so many things I haven't done! I mean, I knew space travel would only be a maybe, but I would have liked to have gone to a bar, and college, and gotten married, you know, adult things. And now I'll never have time to train a dog to speak like Scooby-Doo. It was always a dream of mine. Sorry Sam, but I need to go prepare for the end. I'll see you Monday."

"Bye, Brittany." Sam said, though she had already hung up. Her reaction took him by surprise, but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. If this was really the end, there were some things he needed to do. After Stallionz, Sam had enough of bars to last a lifetime, and he was okay with missing out on college. There were certain things that would have been cool to do, sure, but Brittany brought up the thing that was first on his list: marriage.

Sam had always wanted a family, and wasn't ashamed to admit that when Mercedes would baby-sit Stevie and Stacy with him he would pretend that they were a family. He'd been serious that day in the hall when he said he was interested. He dreamt of the year when Mercedes' name was listed among the nominees. He would take the money he'd been saving and immediately go ring shopping, bringing along Kurt, or Tina, or whoever her best friend is at the time to make sure he picks the right look. Then, on Grammy night she'd claim that she's nervous, but he would know that it's really just excitement in disguise. She'd win her category (of course) and he would begin mentally debating when he should pop the question. On the way to the after-party she'd still be on a high from her win so he'd let her keep babbling with excitement. At the party she'd make her rounds, accepting congratulations and giving her own, all the while flashing her beautiful smile. Once they got home from the party, there would be celebratory sex, a must. But in the morning, he'd kneel at the edge of the bed, tapping her on the nose to wake her up. She would scrunch her nose and open only one eye and see a diamond ring only slightly dimmer than Sam's smile. Of course she'd accept, and another round of celebratory sex would follow.

But that was in a perfect world. A world that wasn't ending in a matter of weeks. But in this world he would take what he could get and try to make someone else's dream come true while he was at it.

**_Let me know what you think! And keep a eye out for part 4... the wedding!_**

**_*Samcedes Lives!*_**


	4. Chapter 4

**_This chapter features the proposal and wedding. Tried my hardest to get this out before the episode airs, so if I overlooked something, apologies. Thanks to all my reviewers! I'm glad I can make Bram sound semi-believable, but now it's time for Sam to open his eyes! There's some Tina/Mercedes, an Artie appearance and some of the new kids. The appearance of Unique is dedicated to "all the principles of heroism"!_**

**_Chapter 4_**

That Monday morning, Sam waited next to Brittany's locker. The blonde greeted him with a hug.

"Hey, Brittany! Good job finding your way to your locker this early on a Monday."

"Oh, I thought it was your locker. So what are you doing here?"

"Well, I was thinking about our conversation on Saturday and I decided that even though we won't be able to do everything we wanted to do in life, I could help you make at least one of those dreams come true."

"I already said there isn't enough time to teach a dog how to talk. All the research says so."

"Umm... I meant..." Sam got down on one knee in the hallway, "Brittany, will you marry me?" He held out a Ring-Pop, which he put on her outstretched hand.

Sam stood back up. "I got you a Ring-Pop cuz I know you like candy. Plus, I'm still kinda poor."

"It's perfect! I'll plan everything!"

The bell rang.

"I've gotta get to class, Brittany, but I'll see you at lunch."

After Artie and Blaine had brought it to Finn's attention that prolonged amounts of time out in the cold was bad for their vocal chords, Finn decided that he would use lunch periods to take care of as much business as possible. That meant they all needed to sit together, despite Kitty's loud and unfruitful protests. For a recently reunited club, they still looked very disjointed. All the upperclassmen sat on one end of the table, trying to put as much space as possible between themselves and Marley. Finn sat next to the ostracized girl, reviewing logistical information about the holiday concert and taking set list recommendations. Brittany stood up, interrupting the meeting.

"I have an announcement to make. As you all know, Sam and I," she pulled Sam to stand next to her, "are now a couple."

Sam stood there awkwardly, ignoring Tina's glare that he could practically feel burning into his skin.

Brittany continued, "but this morning, we got engaged!" She held up the stump to her Ring-Pop. "It used to be a diamond, but I ate it."

"Another Glee wedding?" Artie commented, "once was more than enough."

Tina was fed up. "Sam! You've got to be kidding!"

"Tina, the world is ending on the 21st and we both want to get married before we die, so I proposed."

"Anyway, last time there were bridesmaids and everything but Quinn became half-robot so instead it will be a small wedding during our seventh period study hall. Mrs. Harris always falls asleep so we do whatever we want there. Everyone is invited."

The whole glee club had expressions of varying degrees of confusion and disbelief. Finn looked depressed.

Marley tried to bring some cheer to the table, "That's great Brittany! I will definitely be there!"

"That's nice," Brittany replied, coolly.

"Blaine, bro, I was hoping you could do that online certificate thing and do our wedding."

Blaine looked stunned. "Umm... You probably have to be eighteen for that. Not quite there yet, sorry."

"Oh. Well maybe you could sing?"

"Uhh... Maybe."

Sam turned to Artie, "Will you do the honors?"

"Hell yeah!"

"Artie!" Tina exclaimed.

"What, woman? You know I've always wanted to get my preacher on."

Tina stood and picked her tray up. "I've got to go." She walked briskly out of the cafeteria, dumping her food in the trash on her way out, and the tray along with it.

Tina didn't know what to do. She thought she was clear when she spoke to Sam last week. So how did, "please end this Brittany mess" get interpreted as "please get married to Brittany"? Tina's instincts were telling her to do everything she can to stop it; she even thought about calling Santana, Lord knows she wouldn't let this travesty continue. But Tina knew if she told Santana before she told Mercedes she would feel guilty forever and never hear the end of it.

Tina pulled out her cell phone and selected Mercedes from her contact list. _I'm not tattling. She needs to know She'd _want_ to know_.

"Hey, T!"

"Hey, Mercedes! How's everything?"

"Great! I mean, besides the fact that it's 9am."

"Oh, I'm sorry! I keep forgetting about the time difference."

"No problem. But T, do you mind if I call you back? I'm on my way into the studio. They give the backup singers all the crappy hours because the artists get first pick— not complaining! It's basically impossible to complain, I mean people are recording _me_!"

This was the most animated Tina had heard Mercedes sound in a while. She was still new and didn't get called in to record as often as she wanted, so Tina didn't want to ruin the vibe of her day.

"Sounds great, girl! Call me whenever and you can catch me up on your glamorous LA life."

Mercedes laughed, "Okay, and you be sure to tell me all the Glee drama. There's always something going on. Bye!"

Tina ended the call. _You have no idea._

Mrs. Harris's seventh period study hall was full of a motley crew. The regular students of the class were chatting, on their phones or actually studying, but generally seemed unfazed by the extra students in the room. Marley was there as promised, being vigorously ignored by Tina and Blaine who were leaning against the back wall bulletin board. Artie was up front with Brittany, rehearsing the vows. Jake and Ryder made their way into the classroom and perched on a couple empty desks and Kitty quickly took a seat near Ryder. Sam looked out into the crowd.

"Hi guys, first, I want to say how happy I am that most of the glee club could make it. It's really cool of you guys to use your free period or skip class for us."

"I'm only here because this is my study hall too," Kitty interjected. "I literally have nowhere else to be."

"Well thanks anyway. We're going to get started."

Sam and Brittany stood at the front of class on either side of Artie. He cleared his throat dramatically.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness these two, Brittany Susan Pierce and Samuel I-don't-know-your-middle-name Evans in holy matrimony."

It was at this moment that Unique tried to slip in unnoticed. She was coming from the far side of campus and went to great lengths to avoid being caught cutting class. As a result she was a little frazzled, a state of being she did not enjoy, but there was no way in hell that she was missing this hot mess. Brittany, however, was distracted by the open door and interrupted her own ceremony with, "Mercedes! You made it!"

Unique had had it. She threw her purse down on the nearest desk and turned to Sam. "You need to get your girl, cuz this is ending _today_."

All eyes in the room fixed on Sam. Even Mrs. Harris, who apparently had woken up some time ago, was curious what would happen next. Sam stood silent.

"Sam. What is she talking about?" Brittany asked.

Sam avoided Brittany's gaze and still refused to speak. He wished he knew some way to say it, but the words wouldn't come.

"What I'm talking about is the fact that I am Unique and I AM _NOT_ MERCEDES! Yes, we are both curvy Black women with amazing singing voices, but we are not the same person! What everyone seems to be forgetting is that I don't really know you that well. Only a few months ago I was competition lead for Vocal Adrenaline at Nationals, not doo-wopping in the back like y'all have me doing now. So while I love the spirit of acceptance in Glee, there is a difference between acceptance and denial and ignoring the stupid things that come out this girl's mouth is not helping her. It's just making her look stupid. And racist."

A stunned silence filled the room. Brittany looked wide-eyed from Unique to Sam, who was looking down at the floor. She turned and ran out the room, tears falling down her cheeks.

Sam looked over at Unique who responded with a shrug and crossed her arms. Sam stalked out the room to look for Brittany.

It didn't take long for Sam to find her. Noisy sobs could be heard from the girl's restroom across the hall. Sam stood outside the door and took a few slow, deep breaths. _You've got to fix this, Sam_. He pushed open the door to see Brittany leaning against one of the sinks. Sam took in the overflowing trashcan and the floor littered with toilet paper. _Wow, it's not nearly as clean in here as I thought it would be_. Sam leaned on the sink next to Brittany. She moved to a sink further away. He had no idea what to say, so he decided to wait until she spoke. It didn't take long.

"I broke up with Artie because he called me stupid. But you, you're worse because you heard her call me stupid and you just stood there." Brittany spoke softly, keeping her eyes trained on the floor.

"It happened so fast. I didn't know what to say."

"Was she right?"

"What? No! You're not stupid, Britt."

"I meant, is she really not Mercedes?"

"No she's not. She's Unique. A transfer student from Carmel High."

"Then why didn't you say something?! You let me keep embarrassing myself and I probably hurt her feelings."

Sam was sheepish. "I really didn't know how to say it. I mean, at first I thought you were joking and when I realized you were serious it was just awkward. I knew you didn't mean any harm so I kinda just... let it go."

"You should have found a way. Santana would have found a way."

"Well, I'm not Santana!" Sam shouted, flailing his arms in frustration.

"And I'm not Mercedes!" Brittany shouted back. "And apparently, neither is Unique."

Sam tried to muffle a chuckle, but instead it came out as a snort. "Sorry," he mumbled.

Brittany flashed him a soft smile. "This isn't working. Clearly we aren't over Santana and Mercedes. People think she's mean but she's really not, and she knows how to take care of me so things like this don't happen. You need someone like Mercedes. She can take care of herself but she needed you to bring out her softness, her heart. And her smiles were the best when you were around."

Sam smiled sadly, thinking about the portrait he subconsciously drew that past Saturday.

Brittany continued, "She brought out the best in you, too. When she was around you were in control. Like a real adult. But look at us now," Brittany pulled Sam's arm so he would face the mirror with her. "We're just to heartbroken blonds."

Sam quirked a half-smile at Brittany through the mirror. "You're a great friend, you know that?"

"Yeah, I do. And that's all I really need to be right now." Brittany slid the stump of the Ring-Pop off her finger, grabbed Sam's hand and put it in his palm. "We had fun while it lasted. I'd give you the whole ring back, but... you know."

As Brittany walked out the restroom, Sam kept his gaze on the chewed up Ring-Pop base. With a sigh he tossed it in the trash, but it rolled off the mountain of paper towels and landed on the floor. Sam ignored it, wiped his palm on his jeans and exited the restroom. _Evans, we have some thinking to do. And this time we're actually going to _think.

**_Hope you guys liked it! I hope Unique didn't come off as too harsh. In my experience as a minority at a mostly white school, being called by the wrong name, however innocent the mistake, always felt personal. And from what I've learned from my transgendered friends, being called by the wrong pronoun or outside one's chosen name is a daily hurt. I feel like when those two are added together plus life in general, something like this would occur. (It doesn't help that they felt that a transgendered character needs to act like a drag queen, but whatever.)_**

**_Anyway... I'll start working on the next chapter soon because I'll definitely need it to recover from tonight's episode!_**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! It's been a while. Sorry but the xmas episode left me frustrated and uninspired for a while... but on to happy thoughts:**

**Here is chapter 5 featuring Tina and Blaine with an appearance by (Spoiler Alert!) Ms. Mercedes Jones!**

**Ok, well I'm not sure how long it will be til the next chapter. I've got stuff written for the future but linking has been the problem. I must say, this has come a long way for what was supposed to be a one-shot! Hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter 5**

"So let me get this straight: Tina and I both tell you that you and Brittany should just be friends, and the message you took from that was to propose. But then Brittany tells you that you should only be friends and it's all of a sudden some brilliant idea?" Blaine and Tina sat across from Sam in a booth at Breadstix. Neither looked amused.

"...No?" Sam smiled bashfully.

Tina rolled her eyes. "Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled that you and Brittany are done, but both of you would have had significantly less heartache if you had listened to me in the first place."

"Yes, Tina, I know. But everything's good now. Not great, but good… I guess."

Both Tina and Blaine looked at him with sad expressions.

"I don't want you guys to pity me! I mean, it sucks but we both need some time to recover. Being single isn't a bad thing and I need to get used to it."

"You don't have to be single forever, just don't force it," Blaine said. "Kurt and I just started talking again and it took a lot, but we might start becoming friends again. And who knows if we will ever get back together, but right now it's enough to be his friend. He needs to heal from what I did to him, and I need time to forgive myself and heal from the underlying reasons of why I did what I did."

Tina looked over at Blaine, "Thanks for making this about you."

"That's not what I meant! Sam, what I'm trying to say is maybe you will feel better if you stop trying to forget Mercedes existed. She was an important part of your life, not just as a girlfriend but as a friend too. Part of the loss you're feeling is about romance, but part of it is her presence in your life."

"I don't know if I can do that. It might end up with me vowing to get her back again."

Tina spoke up, "Look at me." Sam locked eyes with Tina. "As much as I love you and 'Cedes together, do _not_ do that. Remember when I said you needed to give her time? Well you need that time too. Blaine is right about forgiveness and you _definitely_ need to take a breather."

Sam gave a small nod and Tina continued, "But you definitely need to talk to her again. You can start by letting her know about the wedding that wasn't. You know she won't be happy if she hears it from someone else, and I would hate for that someone to be me."

"Not cool, Tina," Sam responded.

"What? You have no idea the amount of willpower it has taken me to hold off so far."

Blaine shook his head, "Unfortunately, Tina is right. News travels remarkably fast in McKinley, so it's only a matter of time before Mercedes finds out. And you need to make sure she gets the right version the first time she hears about it."

Sam took a big gulp from his soda, "Okay. I can do that." _I hope._

It was then that Tina's phone chimed. She dug it out of her purse and read: _Skype date with Mike—30 minutes._ She quickly started packing up her things, placing a couple bills on the table to cover her part of the check.

"Sorry guys but I've got to go," she stood up, put on her coat and piled on her backpack, Cheerios! gym bag and purse. "Can I just say one more thing? December 21st isn't the end of the world. Scientists have figured out that it really marks when the Sun makes it's next apparent shift through the constellations of the zodiac due to an astronomical phenomenon called precession. This isn't the end of the world, but rather the end of a cycle which many people believe will bring a new golden age of positivity and enlightenment."

Both boys looked at her in surprise. "What? I like documentaries too! Just unlike _someone_ at this table, I watch them 'til the end. See ya!" Tina quickly left the restaurant.

The boys waved the server over and paid the check, collected their things and headed to the parking lot in silence. As they approached the truck Sam had been loaning from Burt, Blaine spoke up.

"Hey, Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"Everything's going to be fine."

"Thanks." Sam hugged Blaine briefly and climbed into the drivers seat. As he pulled off he tried to build his confidence. _I'll call her tonight. Everything's going to be fine_.

Late that night Sam lay on his bed, looking at his phone. Mercedes' number stared right back at him. _There's no way everything will be fine. She's gonna be pissed. Or sad. I'll just call tomorrow_. Sam went to exit out of his contacts screen. _Crap, wrong button. Crap, it's ringing! Okay you can do this. No you can't! It's not too late, just hang—_

"Hello?"

_Crap_. "Crap."

"Umm... Sam? Hello?"

_Deep breath_. "Hey, Mercedes!"

"Hey, Sam. It's been a while... Everything okay?"

_Not really_. "Yeah, I just wanted to talk to you."

"Really?" Sam could detect a smile in her voice. "What about?"

"Umm... Well... Are you busy?"

"Nope, just catching up on TV before I go to sleep. But it's past midnight in Ohio; what are you doing up?"

"There's something I need to tell you, and I've been trying to figure out how to say it."

"Okay..." Mercedes sounded tentative.

"This isn't easy for me, but it is important that you hear it from me first."

"Just say it, Sam."

"I dated Brittany."

Silence.

Sam rushed on, "Santana just dumped her and we were both pretty lonely and pretty good friends so I thought, 'why not?' But we were only together for a few days. Nothing serious."

"...Oh."

"She dumped me at our wedding, and I don't really blame her—"

"_Wedding?_"

"Yeah... It's a long story but basically I was worried about the Mayan apocalypse and I want to get married before I die so... Yeah."

More silence.

"Mercedes? You still there?"

A giggle could be heard from the other end of the line that grew to a full-blown laugh.

"Mercedes! It's not funny!"

The laughing continued, "Yeah it is! Mayan apocalypse? Really, Sam?!" Her chuckles subsided, "You know it's not real, right? I saw a documentary about planetary shifts or something—"

_Did everyone catch that part except me?_ "Since when do _you_ watch documentaries?"

Mercedes' voice lowered, "I guess you rubbed off on me."

_In more ways than one. Don't say that, Evans!_

There were a few beats of awkward silence before Sam spoke up. "So does this mean you're not mad?"

Mercedes sighed, "Well, it wouldn't be fair if I was since we're not together anymore. But I can't say I'm happy about it. I don't even know if the fact that it was Brittany makes it better or worse."

"Sorry."

"Don't apologize to me, Sam. I miss you, and it makes me sad, but you're single so—"

"_Still_, MJ—I mean Mercedes—I'm sorry."

Mercedes grew silent again. "Can I just ask you one question?"

"Anything."

"What's with your obsession about getting married?"

"You know what. We've had this conversation before back when you were gonna be Mrs. White Chocolate and have my caramel-swirl babies."

"Sam, be serious."

"I _am_. I want a family. It's important to me to be bound to a woman and have children together, sharing in a truly pure love. It's my dream. That and a kick-ass career as a voice actor."

"That's nice and everything, but you need to be careful. You can't be careless with your dreams. Thanks to you I'm out here in LA making my dreams happen and its great. I want you to have that same happiness but if you're impatient you could make the wrong choices and your dream could become a nightmare. I would hate to see you trapped in one of those terrible loveless marriages."

_It wouldn't be if I were with you._

The silence that followed was thoughtful instead of awkward. After a minute or so Sam spoke. "Thanks, Mercedes. Really."

"Hey, I want you to know that I still care about you even though we're apart. I would love for you to keep me up to date on everything with you and your family. And glee too because Tina's updates are fun and dramatic but I could use your perspective sometimes."

"Yeah, I can do that. Maybe we could Skype? As much as I love your voice I'd love to see you again too."

"Sure," Mercedes responded shyly, "Maybe in the mornings instead of the night? I don't want to keep you up."

"I don't mind. Wouldn't that be too early for you?"

"No, I've been waking up early and doing the gym thing."

"Mercedes…" Sam was always cautious when she talked about her weight. It was an insecurity that he had overcome but he knew she wrestled with from time to time.

"Nothing crazy, you know me. I just wanna get ready for the future when I'm running across stages in heels like Beyonce."

Sam chuckled. "Those days are sooner than you think. I'm sure of it."

"Thanks, Sam-I-am." Once again, Sam could hear her smile through the phone. He smiled to himself at her use of his nickname from his more awkward days. A yawn slipped through.

"I heard that! You need to go to bed, no excuses. Text me later and we'll set up a time to Skype. It was good to hear from you, regardless of the circumstances."

"Thanks. And sorry."

"Don't apologize, just go to bed. And take care of yourself."

"Okay, goodnight." Sam hung up and set his phone on the nightstand, burrowed into his blanket, and closed his eyes. _Definitely went better than expected_. He fell asleep with a smile on his face.

**Hope I did okay... I don't know how I feel about Mercedes voice. I was going for less "Hell to the no" Mercedes and more "I need to find out who I am" Mercedes. I figured if leaving McKinley can make Rachel mature in a matter of a week, why not Mercedes?**

**Please continue to review! It makes my day and helps guide me through the next steps.**

**Thanks for reading :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**_Hey! Sorry for the delay... Had a severe lack of inspiration which I blame on the "Glee Actually" episode. This chapter is not my favorite and it's not that exciting but I won't call it filler because I think it's still necessary. Good news: Finally pushing through this chapter helped me renew my motivation and I'm already working on possible scenarios for future chapters. Bad news: I've got a lot of personal issues right now that are consuming some of my time. But this story will be finished and hopefully updated regularly!_**

**_Chapter 6_**

The next day Sam woke with a renewed sense of purpose and positivity. His talk with Mercedes hadn't been the happiest, but it was definitely more that he could ever hope for. She was surprisingly understanding, which just made his guilt worse but Sam chose to focus on the prospect of continuing their friendship. Sam made his was to McKinley with a permanent grin plastered on his face and headed straight to his locker to grab his books for his morning classes. As Sam closed his locker, the momentum of an enthusiastic hug slammed him forward from behind. Sam struggled to see behind him but managed to unclasp the arms from around his waist. He turned and faced the person in front of him.

"Tina?"

Tina grinned back at him. "You did it! I got a text from Mercedes this morning and she told me everything. You have no idea how happy this makes me."

Sam swung his backpack onto his shoulder and started down the hallway, "I'm pretty sure I do."

Tina followed, "Yeah, I guess so," she shrugged. "But really, I'm happy for you guys. And she's happy."

Sam looked down at Tina, "Yeah?"

Tina nodded emphatically. "Definitely. Are _you_ happy?"

"Very." Sam felt a little silly asking but he had to know, "What exactly did she say?"

"She was impressed that you told her first. She asked for the details of course and that's when I found out you _didn't_ tell her about the Brittany and Unique thing." Tina looked up at Sam from the corner of her eye with judgment written all over her face.

Sam avoided her gaze, embarrassed. "Yeah, it didn't come up. I swear I would've told her, it's just— We were talking about other things."

"Well, she was less than impressed about that. Really. Like, don't be surprised if it comes up the next time you talk." A smile returned to Tina's face, "Which, from what I've heard, will be soon."

Sam smiled and a slight blush appeared on his cheeks. "Yeah, we're gonna Skype. I'm excited but a little nervous. And I've got to figure out how to fit it around her schedule. I don't want to mess things up for her, you know?"

"You should set up your Skype date for once or twice a week or something. It's easier when it's part of your schedule, but trying to do it everyday can be stressful. Trust me; it took Mike and me a little time to figure out a good rhythm, but now that we have, we're back on track. Texting and calling are good for the everyday stuff, but nothing beats being able to look him in the eyes when we talk." Tina paused and smiled to herself.

Sam came to a halt outside his homeroom. "That could work." His voice was soft and unsure.

"I'll be honest. It's not going to be the same as when she was still in Lima, but it's better than what you guys have been doing. It will still be hard at times but—"

"It doesn't matter. She's worth it. _We're_ worth it."

Tina smiled while wiping at her watery eyes. "Stop being so sweet, you're gonna make me cry and it's not even nine yet."

Sam chuckled and headed into class, "See ya at lunch, Tina. And thanks for the advice."

Sam spent every free moment of his morning checking his phone. Zero texts, zero missed calls. It wasn't until lunch that he was interrupted from his new obsession when Blaine set his tray on the table and took the seat next to Sam.

"Hey, are you okay? You're staring at your phone pretty intensely."

Sam's head snapped up. "Oh, hey man, didn't see you there."

"I know. Your eyes seemed a little busy."

Sam sighed, "Yeah. I was just, you know, checking my phone."

"Obsessively." Blaine shot back, "I'm pretty sure your phone will notify you if Mercedes tries to contact you."

"How did you know we're talking again?"

"Tina, of course."

Sam groaned, "Of course."

"Though I am glad that you took our advice. And as your bro, it would've been nice to hear it from you."

"Sorry. It's just— I'm still having a hard time believing it myself. I was half expecting her to hang up on me, but the next thing you know she's being really cool about it and making plans to talk again."

"That's great! And no apology needed. I totally get it. I'm really happy for you guys. So, did she really take it that well?"

"Pretty much. She wasn't happy and I still feel like crap about it but she's forgiving me, just like you said."

"And how are you feeling?"

"It's taking me a little longer to forgive myself, but I'm getting there. I swear everything made sense while I was doing it, but now that I'm looking back it seems like one ridiculous mistake."

"Yeah, that's hindsight. But I figured that. I'm more concerned on whether or not you've forgiven Mercedes."

"What? Of course I have! She had to leave for school and her career! Sure, she could have tried, but now we know that me 'being free to live out my senior year' or whatever she blamed it on, really just gives me an excuse to make dumb decisions like dating Brittany. We're not back together yet, and I don't know when it will happen, but it's not like she doesn't love me anymore, I can tell."

Blaine put his hands up in surrender. "Woah, okay! I just wanted to make sure you're okay and not about to propose to anyone anytime soon. Mercedes or anyone else."

Sam flashed him a sarcastic smile and Blaine continued.

"And the Brittany thing was really more desperate than dumb. Just remember: I'm Team Samcedes all the way, but I'm still Team Sam first."

"Thanks, bro."

"Anytime. I think Finn's about to start the Glee lunch meeting, but I really think you should text Mercedes when we're done. You don't know her schedule, but she knows you're at school, which is probably why she didn't text yet. Anyway, the worst thing that could happen is you'll have to wait for her to text back if she's busy. Because we both know she still loves you."

Sam slipped his phone into his pocket and turned his attention to the others gathering at the table. _This meeting better be short cuz as soon as it's over, I'm texting the hell out of Ms. Mercedes Jones._

The lunch meeting went way longer than Sam hoped. In fact, he practically had to run to his next class from the cafeteria. Luckily, by the time he got to his desk, the teacher had still yet to arrive. Sam pulled out his phone and texted as fast as possible:

**-Hey MJ, how's your day? Btw, that rhymed :)**

To Sam's surprise, Mercedes responded almost immediately.

**Lol! Hey Sam-I-Am… I'm good, just doing some homework for my night class tonight. Shouldn't you be in class?**

**-I am! But Mr. Fredericks hasn't shown up yet so I thought I'd check in with you. I've missed talking to you…**

**Me too. School's been going okay though?**

**-Yeah. School is school… What about you, Ms. College?**

**So far so good, getting close to finals so the stress should come any moment now lol**

It was at this moment that Mr. Fredericks finally entered the room.

"Settle down, I'm here! Get in your seats and get your books out!" Mr. Fredericks set his briefcase on the desk up front and added, "Sam, put your phone away. Press one more button and it's mine."

Sam quickly slid his phone back in his pocket. _I'll text later. No problem._

Unfortunately, Sam couldn't find a free moment until his last period study hall. Sam chose a seat in the corner to get in as much uninterrupted texting time as possible. As Sam settled in, he thought back to the previous study hall and his almost wedding. He glanced around at the students who were once his captive congregation. A few eyed him back and a couple students were whispering to each other. Sam had forgotten that the event would still be on the other students' minds, though it wasn't surprising. Even at a school as odd as McKinley, it wasn't every day that students host a wedding on campus.

The whispering came to an abrupt halt and Sam looked around to find the cause. Brittany had just entered and was hunting for a seat. Sam searched her face for any signs of how she was doing. She looked somber, but none the worse for wear. Brittany claimed a desk a few aisles from Sam and started unpacking her things. She briefly looked up and matched Sam's gaze, giving him a soft smile and wave before turning her attention back to her belongings.

Sam let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. Somehow, Brittany's smile had erased the lingering guilt he had about all the events of the past week or so. Both Mercedes and Brittany seemed to have genuinely forgiven him and that's all he could have hoped for. With a smile, Sam pulled out his phone to finally return to his text conversation with Mercedes. As he did, he saw he had one unread text from her.

**From your silence, I'm assuming you had to hide your phone from Fredericks or you were too slow and it became one of the many he hoards in his desk lol.**

Sam smiled and replied,

**-I was lucky and got a warning. Then I was super busy in my other classes, sorry.**

A few minutes later, Mercedes texted back,

**Never apologize about paying attention in class. That's a top priority and I never want to screw things up for you.**

**-Well it's all good now. Mrs. Harris is already fast asleep. She should really see a doctor.**

**Lol! You are too much. I've really missed you.**

Sam grinned to himself and quickly replied,

**-Back at ya, MJ**

**I need you to promise me something.**

**-Anything.**

Sam was unprepared for the block of text that appeared next.

**Well we are both going through really important times right now. You're in your senior year and making plans for whatever happens next and I'm in my first year of college and I'm just starting at the label. Plus you have Glee and swim team and I'm still figuring out LA life for myself… I don't want anything to mess us up on our paths. I would never forgive myself if you were slacking off to spend time talking to me or something.**

Sam slowly read and reread the message. _Why do I feel like she's breaking up with me again when we haven't even gotten back together yet?_ As Sam processed this text Mercedes shot off another message.

**Please don't be mad, Sammy. I just want to be sure I'm not a distraction. And I don't want to feel guilty when I can't answer your calls or something.**

Sam quickly responded before she could go any further down that road of thinking.

**-Calm down! I totally understand. I wouldn't want to get in the way of your school and career progress with you worrying over me. But it's cute that you are worried ;)**

**Ugh! Don't make fun of me**

**-I'm kidding. Sort of. But my point is we are thinking the same thing so let's go back to how things were when we first exchanged phone numbers almost 2 years ago.**

**Hahaha you mean non-stop texts that are overanalyzed for any double meaning?**

**-Lol! No, I mean non-stop texts except when we can't break away from class or work or family things. Trust me, I want both of us to succeed this year just like you do. Maybe even more, cuz in the past 12hours or so I've had a strange increase in motivation. I wonder why?**

**Hahaha ok Sam-I-Am, it's a deal. We're still gonna Skype right?**

**-Most definitely! I miss your face too much to turn that down. How about Sundays?**

**Great! I'm almost never busy on Sundays… Haven't found a new church yet so yeah**

**-Really? Maybe you should ask a coworker. Any of them choir people?**

**Good idea! I think a couple are… You're amazing. We've only just started talking again and you're already solving my problems.**

**-That's what I'm here for. You're one of my best friends.**

**And you're mine too. I've got to go, but I'll talk to you soon I'm sure.**

**-No problem. Good luck in class tonight!**

**Thnx!**

Sam let his phone sit on his desk while he reflected on his conversation with Mercedes. He was shocked that the anxiety of contacting her wore off so quickly. They seemed to fall right back in the habit, Mercedes' mini freak-out notwithstanding. Sam was more surprised that calling her his "best friend" rather than "girlfriend" hurt way less than he thought it would. Because it wasn't a lie: Mercedes really was one of his best friends and he would be okay in the friend-zone. That is, as long as he could still flirt with her. Sam picked up his phone again to prepare another text. _I'm sure Blaine wants to know how it all went._

_**There is is... hope it was satisfactory. Keep an eye out for the next chapter which will include some Tina/Mercedes interaction and a possibility of a Puck appearance. But don't hold me to that.**  
_

_**Thanks for reading and please let me know what you think.**_

_**Samcedes Forever! (oh and if you don't mind please head to portrait magazine dot net and vote Samcedes as the ship of the year. voting is unlimited and closes Jan 15th thnx)**_


	7. Chapter 7

**_Hey, Samcedians! Thanks for all your reviews! They make me feel guilty for not reviewing more often, especially since I follow most of you guys' stories... So this took longer than expected... I hope you like it though. Had some frustrations but most of it has resolved itself in the form of a flexible outline. If you have things you wish to see let me know. Can't guarantee it will make it but we'll see... this 1-2 shot will be continued through the end of the school year, it seems, so you never know. I even have oneshot ideas that I had ignored finally being written! You readers and reviewers have created a monster! Anyway, on with the chapter and I hope I didn't disappoint._**

**Chapter 7**

As much as Tina hated virtually everything Coach Sylvester had ever said or done to her, she couldn't help but enjoy being a member of the Cheerios! Sue's verbal, emotional, and borderline physical abuse during practice was nothing new to her and she was already used to all the catty attitudes of the other cheerleaders— Glee had it's fair share of girl fights. However, there were some things Tina was still getting used to. Her days of stuttering to avoid conversation were already a distant memory, but now others were acknowledging her in the hall _without_ it ending in a slushie facial! But the number one thing Tina appreciated about her new extracurricular activity was practice. When the Cheerios! met after school, they were always ready to work. Grudges and gripes had to be pushed aside because the cheerleaders all knew that their energy was best spent making sure they didn't drop each other. The Cheerios! ran a tight ship, working in perfect unison to avoid giving Sue a reason to fling a clipboard in their direction. Even if Mr. Schuester didn't want to admit it Tina knew that fear and competition were great motivators.

As Tina went over a few eight-counts of floor work with some of the other girls she felt a pair of eyes on her periodically through practice. _I swear someone is staring at me. _Tina looked over her shoulder and almost immediately locked eyes with Blaine who was in another corner of the gym running through the routine with the other guys on the squad. Tina raised an eyebrow at him.

"What?" She mouthed.

"Later," he mouthed back with a slight shake to his head.

That was enough to break Tina's concentration for the rest of practice. Blaine took practice for any type of performance extremely seriously, so for him to seek out her attention during practice meant he had something important to tell her. When the school year had started Tina knew she would need to do some adjustments in her circle of friends, but she never thought that meant Blaine would become her so-called "best gay." She, Blaine, and Sam were quickly becoming a tight-knit group and though she sometimes missed having more estrogen around her, she was having fun.

"Alright, that's enough for today!" Sue shouted through her megaphone. "If I have to look at your pathetic attempts any longer, I'll have to gouge my own eyes out. Get out of my gym!"

The Cheerios! briskly made their way towards the exit while Tina made a beeline for Blaine.

"Okay, spill!" Tina practically yelled.

"Well..." Blaine put his palm to his face for a moment and let out a frustrated sigh, "I can't help but feel like I'm falling into a stereotype here, but I have some news."

Tina's eyebrows shot up at the mention of new gossip. "Out with it! Sharing is caring."

"Sam and Mercedes are texting each other."

Tina let out a squeal and demanded, "Details!"

Blaine rolled his eyes. "Well we hardly had a gab-fest. He just texted me that he finally texted her, that it went well, and that they're Skyping Sunday. I imagine Mercedes would be the one to talk to if you want someone to rehash the entire conversation."

"Boys," Tina huffed, "Sometimes you guys are so useless. Now I've got to get home and find out for myself. Still, thanks for the news!" Tina rushed off without another word to Blaine.

"You're welcome," Blaine said to the space where Tina had stood only a second ago. He chuckled to himself and shook his head.

Tina sped home and raced up her stairs, flinging her bags across her bedroom while simultaneously calling Mercedes. After a couple rings, Mercedes answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey 'Cedes!"

"Hey, T! What's up?"

"You tell me," Tina replied with a knowing tone.

"Girl, you are way too good with the gossip game. How did you know?" Mercedes asked, genuinely surprised.

"Unimportant," Tina brushed off quickly. "What _is_ important is what happened in your conversation with Sam today."

Mercedes responded with a sigh, "I can't talk now, I'm literally outside my class. I can fill you in later."

"Ugh. You with all your classes."

"Well excuse me for trying to get an education. And you know my schedule; I take night classes."

"Yeah, yeah... Just call me when you're done. Seriously. I don't care how late it is," Tina demanded.

"_Fine_. Now I've really got to go."

"Okay. Enjoy your class, Diva!" Tina chirped before hanging up the phone. Tina jumped into action. She had to eat and do all her homework before Mercedes was done with class. This conversation deserved an uninterrupted Skype session.

A few hours later, Tina was sitting in her pajamas staring at her computer screen that showed a pajama clad Mercedes eating a bowl of ramen.

"Aww, this is just like our old sleepovers! Except the time difference and the awkward indirect eye contact," Mercedes said.

"Enough reminiscing! I need to know what happened today. What did you guys talk about? And make it quick cuz I have to be up in a few hours."

"God, T! Calm down. Nothing really happened. We just talked." Mercedes eyes cut to the side and she struggled to keep a smile off her face.

"Nuh-uh! That's not what 'just talking' looks like. What did you guys talk about?"

"The normal stuff: school, church. He said he misses me."

Tina gasped excitedly, "He did!? What did you say?"

"I said I missed him too. Well, actually I said it first."

Tina gasped again.

"Girl, if you don't calm down you're gonna pass out!"

"Sorry 'Cedes but this is a big deal. You guys are on the road to reconciliation."

"I don't think so. We've both been very serious about being friends and not a distraction. Not that I wouldn't like to get back with him. I swear, talking to that boy for five minutes has me falling for him all over again."

"Aww, that is so sweet!"

"No thank you to the waterworks," Mercedes sassed.

"Ha. Ha. I'm not gonna cry," Tina rolled her eyes at the computer screen. "I'm just saying that it's obvious that you both still love each other—"

"Both?"

"_Yes, both. _I'm one hundred percent sure," Tina replied with an exasperated sigh. "It's only a matter of time before you get back together."

Mercedes sat quietly with an uncertain look on her face. After a few moments she spoke again, "I'm not so sure, T. Sam seemed really pumped for the whole 'be friends while we better ourselves' thing. I mean, I'm glad, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hoping for him to ask for me back."

"You can't have it both ways, Mercedes. Plus you know if he asked to get back with you you'd freak and say you've got too much going on or something."

Mercedes went silent again which made Tina concerned.

"Umm… 'Cedes? Say something cuz I can't read that expression."

"Okay. But promise you won't say anything."

"Of course I won't! You are my number one best friend and that trumps all good gossip. So spill."

"Okay… Um… Well, I guess what I'm saying is—"

"You haven't said much of anything yet," Tina mumbled.

"T!" Mercedes shrieked, "Just let me get it out! What I'm saying is I really miss Sam. _Really_ miss him. And I want him back."

"Yes! The first step is admitting it, you know."

"Shut up."

Both Tina and Mercedes couldn't keep the grins off their faces, but Tina had to bring them both back down to Earth.

"You know you can't get back together now, right?"

"Of course not. We just started talking again yesterday. But I know I _really _want it to happen. As soon as possible."

"Well give it some time, girl. Being friends is not a bad idea. It already seems to have done you guys some good. So promise me you'll give it some time. Leave the spontaneous decisions to Sam."

"Don't hate on my man, Tina," Mercedes laughed.

"I'm kidding. But really, don't rush this because you are both happy now. If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

"Yes, Mom." Mercedes playfully rolled her eyes.

"Don't sass me; I give excellent advice. Now I need my beauty rest. Goodnight!"

Mercedes replied in kind and the girls blew each other kisses through their web cams. Tina settled into bed with a secret she was happy to keep. Across the country, Mercedes laid in bed full of a nervous excitement that she remembered well from the end of her junior year. _There's something about this boy that makes me feel like such a girl._

The next morning, Mercedes woke to a rattling noise against her apartment door.

Mercedes nervously sat up in bed and grabbed the Louisville Slugger by her bedroom doorway while making her way into the living room. As she lifted the bat over her shoulder in preparation, the door opened to reveal Puck in blue flannel pajama pants and a white undershirt tank top. He paused abruptly in the doorway.

"What the hell, Mercedes!? You were gonna hit me with a bat? I have a key for God's sake."

"You were making a lot of noise. And that key is for emergencies only," Mercedes explained.

"This _is_ an emergency. A breakfast emergency. I brought the cereal," Puck shook a half empty box of Cap'n Crunch while making his way into the kitchen. "Do you have any milk? Mine is spoiled."

Mercedes leaned against the kitchen doorway and watched Puck as he moved through the room, picking out a bowl and spoon with ease and familiarity.

"Nice choice of weapon, by the way," Puck called while searching through the refrigerator. "Makes up for the fact that you're wearing footie pajamas."

Mercedes chuckled. "Milk's on the top shelf, near the back. And thanks, my brother gave me Satchmo as a housewarming gift."

"Satchmo?"

"Louisville. Louis "Louie" Armstrong. Also known as Satchmo. Duh." _Definitely not naming it for Louisville, Kentucky. Screw that._

Puck raised an eyebrow in confusion and brushed past Mercedes to sit on her couch.

"Hey! I thought we were having breakfast together. Where's my bowl?"

"Your arms ain't broke!"

Mercedes glared at Puck and began pouring herself a bowl of cereal. Puck continued speaking, "I know we live in a tough neighborhood, but if we lived _together_ we could afford something nice. Though I know no matter what The Lady Jones says Doc Jones ain't havin' that."

"And I ain't havin' that either. You may be able to sweet talk my mother but I know you, Noah."

Puck chuckled. By this time both of them were sitting on the couch and ignoring the argument that had become part of their routine in favor of the _Khloe and Lamar_ repeat playing on the E! network. Mercedes and Puck sat eating cereal in companionable silence. Mercedes spoke first.

"Hey, have you talked to Sam lately?"

"If by 'talked to' you mean 'played Halo with' then yeah. We Glee guys try to play at least once a month."

Mercedes rolled her eyes. _Of course_.

"So how is he?" Mercedes tried to sound casual and failed miserably.

Puck smirked and looked at her from the corner of his eye. "Why? You feelin' White Chocolate again? I thought he's with Brittany now."

"They broke up. How'd you even know they were together?"

"My mulatto baby bro told me. But seriously, you tryna get back together with him?"

Mercedes groaned in frustration and put down her bowl. "I don't know. I mean, I _want_ to but we _just_ started talking again and we're focusing on the whole 'friends' thing."

"So... You put _yourself _in the friend-zone?"

Mercedes let out a second groan. "Yes."

Puck chuckled and tipped his bowl to his lips to slurp down what was left of the sugary milk. He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and stood to bring his dishes back to the kitchen. Meanwhile Mercedes sat still, her eyes tracking his movements as she waited for his advice.

"Well I'd hate to cock block— or would it be vag block?— but if the friends thing is working then you should leave it alone. I mean, it's not like you're missing out on a hook-up; you're a thousand miles apart."

Mercedes sighed and followed Puck into the kitchen and dumped what was left of her cereal down the sink. She quietly made her way back to her room and right before she closed the door she turned back to Puck.

"Thanks for the advice, Noah. I appreciate it. I've gotta get ready for the day but continue to make yourself at home. Or take yourself down the hallway to your actual home."

"You're welcome, Mama," Puck replied as he stretched out on her couch and picked up the television remote. "The Puckster has always got your back."

**_Hope you liked it... Puckcedes friendship was surprisingly easier for me to write than Mertina. Not sure when the next chapter is, but there will be Sam/Mercedes interaction and hopefully a slight push forward in time (for those who care, I'm a planner and what has happened so far is durind the end of the first week into the second week of December.)_**

**_Thank you for reading, please review!_**


	8. Chapter 8

**_Hey, Samcedians! Sorry it's been longer than planned and sorry I didn't respond to the reviews from last chapter. I lost motivation for a bit but hopefully it won't happen again. Story updates and new stories give me life so thanks to all you writers, I'm back! Don't want this author's note to get too long but I've got a lot of thoughts about the current episodes. I'm admittedly a Blam shipper in the fiction world but I'm hoping and guessing that it will all end well and platonic. Murphs has already tweeted that (SPOILER) there will be no gay!Sam. He also mentioned that Tina's storyline is really about loneliness and I can get down with that. It's sad that it's happening to my girl (Especially since she saw Mercedes go through this) but at least she has a storyline (albeit recycled)._**

**_Anyway, on to the chapter!_**

Chapter 8

Today was the day Sam was waiting for. Skype Sunday. The rest of the school week had been full of scattered text conversations covering mundane everyday activities: "You wouldn't believe how many hours I spend sitting in traffic! I should look into a hands-free texting app..." playful debates: "MJ, you can't back a team based on their uniform or how hot the players are!" movie, music, and YouTube video recommendations: "Just bought Kendrick Lamar's album, check it out!" "I dunno, that Krispy Kreme guy will always be my favorite rapper lol," and light flirtation: "Good morning, beautiful! Make today your bitch!" "Back at you, handsome. ;)" Sam even made sure to call Mercedes on Friday to get the heaviest conversation out of the way. He was in no way looking forward to it, but he knew it was necessary to help repair and develop their relationship.

_"Hey, Mercy?"_

_"'Mercy?' Oh no, what did you do? You only call me Mercy when you're sweet talking."_

_"Hey! Maybe I just feel like being sweet!... But seriously, we do need to talk."_

_"Why do I get the feeling I won't like this talk?"_

_"Well it's necessary. I owe you an apology. I'm sure Tina has already told you about what happened at the wedding with Brittany and Unique but I feel like we need to talk about it." Sam took a deep breath and powered through, "I just want you to know that I know it wasn't okay that I never corrected Brittany when she mixed up Unique and you."_

_"It's ok," Mercedes responded awkwardly. _

_"No it's not! It's hurtful and disrespectful. I think what was hard for me was that it was done out of ignorance. Because we both know that if something like that was done purposely I would have been on it in a heartbeat."_

_Mercedes knew that was true. Beyond Sam's fierce defense of Kurt when he was still new to McKinley, Sam had always been ultra aware of injustice, especially racism aimed at Mercedes and their relationship. Sadly, there had been several moments in their relationship where Mercedes was the target of whispers and dirty looks. While she is a strong and proud woman, there was a limit of how much she could take and she got tired of brushing it off though she knew it was better than confronting every rude person in Lima. Sam, however, never had a problem standing up for her and these events often ended with her holding him back from escalating to physical defense. She would always act exasperated, but internally his actions made Mercedes proud and a little turned on. _

_"I know, Sammy. But I understand. It's Britt. She doesn't mean anything by it and she never would. Sometimes it's just hard to get through to her."_

_"I still could have tried. MJ, will you _please_ just accept my apology?"_

_Mercedes sighed, "_Fine_. You know, I really should be flattered that you care so much, but instead I'm just concerned for you."_

_"It's not just about you. I want to set a proper example for our future children." It was after a beat of silence that Sam realized his slip up and fumbled to repair it. "I mean _my_ future children. Children everywhere, really. They're the future, you know."_

_"Uh huh." On the other end of the line, Mercedes was holding her palm over her mouth to cover her chuckles, but it couldn't put a lid on the butterflies in her stomach. _

_"Umm... 'Cedes, I've got a ton of homework to do but we'll talk later, yeah?" Sam hung up before Mercedes could respond. _Since when did that boy do homework on Fridays?

So now with that conversation out of the way, Sam was anxiously awaiting Mercedes' call. He sat in front of his laptop, waiting for her to log on. At that moment her window popped up and Sam clicked 'Accept' with a wide grin.

"Hey MJ!" Sam waved at the camera.

Mercedes laughed and waved back, "Hey Sammy."

"I'm liking the hair," Sam said, referring to her new closely cropped style with side-swept bangs.

"Yeah?" She asked, self-consciously smoothing the locks at her nape. "It's taking some getting used to, but the other girls at the studio convinced me to go for it."

"Well, I'm a fan. How was your day so far?"

Mercedes recounted her morning; she had taken Sam's advice to attend church with her coworkers at the label.

"...West Angeles is amazing! It's huge, they've got people doing sign language, they stream online and some celebrities go there, but I didn't see any today. Rhesa and Damon from work— I've mentioned them before right?" Mercedes didn't wait for Sam's reply, "—they sing in the choir. It was phenomenal!"

Mercedes continued to excitedly talk about everything from church, to work, to school. Rather than trying to add to the conversation, Sam watched as Mercedes gesticulated wildly while recounting an awkward confrontation between her professor and a know-it-all student in the middle of class. _She's practically glowing. She's- what's the word? Radiant._

Mercedes suddenly stopped speaking. "Oh my God, Sam! I've been blabbing nonstop. Why didn't you stop me!?"

"Because I want to hear everything. I'm happy to see you so happy."

_My Lord, sometimes I swear this man is perfect. _"Well you know none of this could have been possible without you."

"Nonsense. Do you know how many people have a video of them singing on YouTube? It's your talent that got you where you are."

_Yup. Definitely perfect. _"Agree to disagree. So... After finals I have some time off from work so I'll be back in Lima the Saturday before Christmas. Any chance I'll get to see you?" Mercedes asked with a shy expression.

Sam huffed and ran his fingers through his hair frustratedly. "I drive down to Kentucky Saturday. My folks want me in town for church that Sunday."

"Oh." Mercedes resisted the urge to pout.

"Hey, how about I come by before I go? I don't have to be on the road all that early so we can still hang out for a couple hours."

"Okay... I guess. Will you be around for New Year's at least?"

Sam avoided eye contact with Mercedes's hopeful expression. "I can try... Mom's been really excited about me coming back. She's done all this research for scholarships for dyslexic kids and homeless kids and she's really excited to help me write my essays. But I can try and get it all done early and maybe I can get back in time for New Year's."

Mercedes was sulking now. "No, no it's okay. I miss your family so I know you definitely do. You can't cut your visit short. Some people at the label are throwing a party and I wasn't sure if I'd go, but I guess I will." She flashed a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"That's probably a good idea. Start the new year off in your new city and new life. I'll miss you though, and I'll definitely call." Sam switched over to his James Earl Jones voice. "Now smile for me for real before I do impressions for the rest of this conversation."

Mercedes giggled and looked up from her palms resting in her lap. "You're crazy."

_Crazy about you_, he wanted to reply. Instead he said, "That's my girl," while smiling a soft, crooked smile. "I'm sorry we won't spend more time together."

"Me too. But this is exactly what we've been talking about. Doing what's best for us while we transition. You being able to go to college is important to me because it is important to you. If you changed any of your plans because of me, I'd feel guilty. And I'm not about that." Mercedes inhaled deeply and tried to move the conversation along. "So have you thought about what schools you'd want to go to? Or what you'd want to major in?"

Sam shrugged. "I dunno. I'm thinking I'll just be undecided and shoot for a big state school or something. Then when I'm there I'll have options. And even though Mom found out about a way for me to get accommodations for the SATs cuz of my learning disability, I'm still not sure about how I did. But people say state schools are less picky about SAT scores."

"Yeah, some are. But I'm sure you did fine; you're smarter than you give yourself credit for. Just promise me one thing."

"Have you noticed that almost all our conversations end with 'promise me one thing'?" Sam did a sassy impersonation of Mercedes.

"Boy, shut up! I do _not _sound like that." Mercedes laughed. "Now really, I need you to promise me that some of those 'big state schools' have good arts programs. You have a talent and I don't want you to let it go to waste."

"Sure, MJ. I can do that for you."

"Thank you! I never want you to let go of your dreaming spirit. You dreamt _for _me and look how it turned out." Mercedes gestured all around her to her apartment. "Imagine what could happen if you dream for yourself."

The pair fell quiet and smiled at each other, taking in the other's presence. A minute later Sam spoke up.

"That was really good. Like _Oprah _levels of inspiration."

Mercedes giggled in response, "Of course you would say that. I'm serious though." She glanced at the time displayed on her screen. "Sorry, but I've gotta go study; tomorrow starts finals week. Wish me luck!"

"Good luck! Though I'm sure you won't need it."

"Thanks, but I'll take it anyway."

They disconnected the line, and in both Lima and Los Angeles there was a teen letting out a sigh and gazing fondly at the screen where their former lover had been.

**_There it is... The big Skype conversation. Hopefully it didn't disappoint. I wanted to highlight the fact that Sam wouldn't have gotten such a low SAT score because he would have qualified for a reader or extra time. (But we all know that the writers love stupid!Sam and hate research. That episode hurt my Stan-ing heart though I felt that addressing his self-esteem & eating disorder issues was necessary.) The next chapter will be coming soonish because I've already started. Sometimes my chapter ideas come in random order.  
_**

**_Thanks for reading! And please review! I'll make a better effort at replying this time. _**


	9. Chapter 9

**_Hello all! Apparently I jinxed myself when I said I already started. Some of what I had for chapter 9 got deleted :(_**  
**_I think this version is just as good and definitely A LOT longer than I anticipated so I split it up into two parts. This is the shorter of the two. The second one will be up as soon as the proofreading is done._**

**_Thanks to all the readers, reviewers, followers and favorite-ers! Enjoy!_**

**_Chapter 9_**

As per usual, Sam's conversation with Mercedes helped keep him on track. That Monday he rededicated himself to his classes and signed back up for the tutoring sessions he had blown off previously. He was determined to finish off the semester strong and he only had a few days to do it. Sam made it through his morning classes with a smile on his face; he was exuding positive energy and even early morning Calculus couldn't bring him down.

With the first half of the day finished, Sam headed toward his locker to put his things away. As he walked down the hall, Blaine and Tina sidled up to Sam and fell into step on either side of him.

"_Someone's_ having a good day, don't you think, Blaine?" Tina said.

"It does appear so, Tina," Blaine replied. "What do you think, Sam? Is today a good day? Is the sun shining brighter?"

Sam stopped in front of his locker and dialed the combination without turning towards either companion.

"Yeah, sure," he replied distractedly.

Tina and Blaine shared a look behind Sam's back. Blaine spoke again.

"Sam, come on, I feel like you're holding out on me."

"I _know_ you're holding out on me!" Tina butted in. "You and Mercedes Skyped yesterday and she's being no more forthcoming than you are. I can practically feel her matching dopey smile in her texts but I'm getting no details!"

Sam closed his locker and turned, resting his back against the cool metal. He looked at his two friends. As the new norm dictated, Tina was dressed in her Cheerios! uniform and had her arms crossed in front of her chest. Blaine stood beside her; decidedly uniform free, having declared that once he was released from his Dalton uniform, he was in no hurry to return to conformity. Instead he opted for his signature preppy-chic look and clutched the leather strap of his messenger bag to his shoulder. Both teens looked at Sam expectantly. He answered with an annoyed sigh and an eye roll.

"Skype Sunday was great. Mercedes is doing great. Now I'm just trying to do my best to get out of here. I don't want to let her down. And if I wind up stuck in Lima or back with my parents in Kentucky, I'll be pissed at myself. Now stop with the interrogation before I lose my post-Mercedes buzz."

Sam pushed himself off his locker and started to make his way to the cafeteria. Blaine and Tina joined without argument, satisfied for the time being.

"'Post-Mercedes buzz,'" Tina giggled, "that sounds dirty."

"Oh my God, Tina!" Blaine responded, bursting into laughter. Sam joined in, playfully shoving Tina's shoulder. As the trio approached the cafeteria doors, Sam spotted Unique out the corner of his eye.

"Hey, you guys save me a seat. I'll catch up in a minute." Sam made a beeline to the junior.

"Hey, Unique!" Sam called, "can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure," she replied, "but it's just Wade today." She gestured to her masculine clothes and wig-less head.

Sam furrowed his brows in confusion. "I'm all for alter egos— every great super hero has one— but I thought it was important for you to be Unique and not Wade?"

"Well it takes time to get that fabulous every morning," Unique shrugged. "And sometimes the confusion it causes doesn't seem worth it."

"Hey, I want to apologize about the Brittany thing. I should have said something to her and I should have apologized to you ages ago."

"Thanks. I think Brittany apologized too, but I'm not one hundred percent sure. There was talk of unicorns and zebras though."

Sam chuckled softly. "It was definitely an apology. She felt really bad that she was hurting you this whole time, and I'm ashamed that I let it all happen."

"Well, you're forgiven," Unique answered. "But I can't say I'll forget anytime soon. I've made an effort to keep track of the multitude of blondies running about this school, so it's an insult that it wasn't reciprocated."

"Of course. Just please don't let this change you. You are Unique; that's just a fact."

"True."

The pair walked into the cafeteria to meet up with the other Glee members. Before they reached the table Unique grabbed Sam's forearm to get his attention.

"When I said I wouldn't forget, I also meant that I wouldn't forget your apology and friendship."

Sam let out a relieved sigh and grinned, "Thank you!" _That went better than I expected, and probably better than I deserve. My buzz is still in effect too! This really is a great day._

Unfortunately for Sam, the rest of the week didn't go quite as well as Monday did. Between tutoring sessions for finals, make-up and last minute extra credit assignments, Sam had a permanent headache. He had also been spending a lot of time at Burt's garage.

When Sam had returned to Lima he quickly became restless with the amount of time he had on his hands and was eager to contribute to the Hudmel household. Rather than letting Sam return to delivering pizzas, Burt hired Sam at the garage so Sam could fulfill his need to be helpful and productive while Burt could make sure that he still had a chance to indulge in teenage life. However, now that Sam was a senior Burt recognized his need to build a savings account and gave him more hours. Unbeknownst to Sam, Burt recognized Sam's skill as an auto mechanic and also needed his help more than ever now that he had been diagnosed with cancer, not to mention the time he spent working in Washington, DC.

Sam's burden was even heavier when one factored in synchronized swimming preseason training and Glee. By the time Friday arrived Sam was exhausted and cranky. He was struggling to keep his eyes open during the glee club's lunch meeting and had all but given up, resting his head on the table.

"Hey! Sam!" Finn called from the other end of the table, "We would all appreciate it if you paid the slightest attention to what's going on. Unless we're boring you, then by all means take a nap. I'm sure the bed in the nurse's office is free."

Sam raised his head just high enough to glare at Finn with bleary eyes.

"You know what? That's actually a good idea, so congrats on finally giving some useful advice for once." Sam stood up from the table. "Better than wasting time on an inactive glee club that will do nothing for my college applications."

Sam quickly left the cafeteria, leaving behind a stunned glee club and a gaping Finn.

"I'll take care of it," Blaine said while collecting his and Sam's things and rushed off to find his best friend.

To Blaine's surprise Sam actually took Finn's advice. He found him resting on the cot in the nurse's office. Blaine pulled a chair up next to the bed and waited for Sam to speak. After a couple of minutes of silence, Blaine became impatient and spoke up.

"Sam, what's going on?"

"Nothing dude, I'm just tired," Sam responded stubbornly.

"That's more than tired. I think you really hurt Finn's feelings."

"Well, that's too bad. He was rude first."

"Fair enough," Blaine sighed. "But this is the last day before break. You should be happy!"

"It's hard to be happy when three hours from now there will be nothing else I can do to pull up my semester grade, and then I need to get in a work out before I go help finish some tune-ups."

"Sam, you're doing way too much. Something's got to give. If you continue like this, you're going to crack next semester."

"I'll figure it out. Next semester I won't be starting from behind and I'll have more free periods. Plus all my applications will be done. I just, really, really need this all to work out."

"Is this about Mercedes?"

Sam let out a deep sigh. "She comes back to Lima tomorrow morning. Because I've been so busy we've barely talked all week but we're supposed to hang out before I head down to Kentucky."

"I'm sure she understands. She's probably really busy too."

"True. Really, I'm just nervous. This will be our first time speaking in person since she left. Cuz we really can't count her visit for _Grease_."

Blaine flashed an encouraging smile. "Sam, I _guarantee_ that you have nothing to worry about. You and Mercedes are great friends and you need whatever time you can get together now that you've forgiven each other. It doesn't necessarily have to change anything."

Sam reflected on Blaine's words in silence. Soon, the bell rang and he took a deep breath, steeling himself for the last hours of the fall semester.

**_Thanks for reading! Part two will be up in a couple minutes..._**


	10. Chapter 10

**_Here is part two! I've realized that I stopped putting in the disclaimer, so just for the record, I don't own anything Glee related or any of the pop culture references mentioned. There's a lot of formatting in this chapter. Forgive me if it doesn't come out right. Warning: there is some... ahem, "adult" behavior in this chapter._**  
**_Thanks again to all the readers, reviewers, followers and favorite-ers! Enjoy! And PLEASE read the A/N at the end._**

**_Chapter 10_**

The next afternoon Sam parked his truck on the curb, hopped out, and jogged up Mercedes' porch steps to ring the doorbell. He anxiously wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans and jammed his hands in his pockets.

The door swung open to reveal Mercedes in her signature black skinny jeans and a hot pink leopard print tee that hung off her right shoulder.

She grinned up at Sam. "Hey, Kim K. Glad to see you made it through the apocalypse."

Sam groaned in response and blushed lightly. "Come on, will you ever let me live that down?"

"Eventually. But for now I haven't made nearly enough jokes yet."

"Well it doesn't even work because Kim actually got married. I didn't."

"Details. Just be happy you're Kim and not Kris Humphries. Anyway, come inside before you let all the heat out."

Mercedes moved to the side to let Sam through, closing the door behind her and leaning her back to it, silently gazing up at Sam the whole time. Sam looked back at her, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"What?"

"Nothing. I just really missed you."

Sam's heart flip-flopped at her words. In all their conversations he still couldn't get over how good it felt when she said she misses him. Sam scooped Mercedes up in a tight hug and then held her back at arms length for further inspection.

"You shrank," Sam said with a slight frown. "It looks good on you though." His eyes scanned her slowly from her cropped haircut down to her painted toes. _And my favorite parts are still present and accounted for._

"Thanks, I think." Mercedes responded with an eye roll. "You sound as bad as my parents. I swear it's not that dramatic. Just a couple of pounds due to exercise and a tight budget. The last of my baby-fat really."

"Well, I trust you. And you look good." Sam pulled her in for another hug, breathing her in this time. "Where are your folks anyway?"

"Daddy's at the practice and Mom's running errands. Now let's go upstairs, we have a lot of catching up to do before you get on the road."

Sam happily followed Mercedes, taking in the sight of her. _Yup, all my favorite parts are right where I left them._

When they arrived at Mercedes' room, Sam paused in the doorway across from the deep purple accent wall to view what was once a familiar sight. Mercedes would be the first to admit that as the youngest child and only daughter, she was spoiled. Her large room included a walk-in closet that held tons of brightly patterned clothes. However, most of the clothes were now missing, having made a new home on the west coast. Sam noticed that her posters were also gone, as well as the pictures on her vanity. One thing that hadn't changed was what was in Sam's opinion the best part of the room. The queen sized— or as Mercedes called it, diva-sized— bed complete with a four-post frame and an open-topped canopy with cream colored curtains. The unchanged presence of her bed brought back one of Sam's favorite memories.

_Lima had been going through a rash of summer thunderstorms, putting a halt on Sam and Mercedes' lakeside plans. After three days of cancelled plans Sam had had enough and decided to take matters into his own hands. Late one afternoon, Sam bounded up the Jones' front steps holding his purple hoodie over his head to shield himself from the downpour. Shortly after ringing the doorbell, Mrs. Cynthia Jones opened the door with a welcoming smile. _

_"Hello, Sam! I didn't expect to see you today."_

_"Hello, ma'am. I came by to get Mercedes' help with my summer reading, if that's alright." Sam gestured to his backpack. "She had the same book last year so I figured she'd know how to explain it all."_

_"Mhmm." Cynthia hummed with a knowing smile. Sam blushed, realizing he'd been figured out._

_"How's your family doing?"_

_"Good, ma'am."_

_"Aww, Honey, save all that 'sir and ma'am' business for 'Cedes' father and grandma." She laughed and pulled Sam in for a hug. "Now go on upstairs. I'm sure 'Cedes can use a break from reading _Crime and Punishment_. I swear they're punishing _her_ for picking an AP class."_

_Sam chuckled and flashed her his signature crooked grin before rushing up the stairs, resisting the urge to take them two at a time._

_"Tell Mercedes I need to see her in the kitchen!" Cynthia called after him. _

_Sam crept up to Mercedes' room as quietly as possible and poked his head in. Mercedes sat cross-legged on her bed with her back against some throw pillows. She seemed to be having a staring match between her and the closed tome lying on the bedspread in front of her._

_"I didn't know you had x-ray vision. That's awesome!"_

_Mercedes jumped at Sam's voice. "Oh my God! What are you doing here? I thought we cancelled?"_

_Mercedes got off the bed to greet Sam with a hug. Before she could pull away, Sam kept a firm grasp on her hips and held her close._

_"We did," Sam stole a quick kiss from Mercedes' lips. "But I thought I'd come by and say 'hi.'"_

_Sam leaned forward to kiss Mercedes again, but this time he went slowly, deepening the kiss and brushing his tongue across Mercedes' bottom lip. Just as Mercedes parted her lips, Sam backed away just far enough to brush his nose against hers._

_"Hi," he whispered. _

_Mercedes' eyelids fluttered open and she softly cleared her throat. "Hi," she whispered back. _

_Sam stood taking in her shy smile and lightly smirked. _We've been flirting for ages and been official for two weeks, but she still acts shy. Adorable_._

_"Before I forget, your mom said she needs you in the kitchen."_

_Mercedes groaned and removed Sam's hands from clutching her hips. "Of course she does. I'll be back in a minute."_

_Sam watched appreciatively as Mercedes walked out of the room. As soon as she was out of sight, Sam sprang into action. He cleared her book and highlighters off the bed and grabbed his sketchbook out his backpack, frantically turning the pages until he came to the last used page. Then he pulled out the small bag containing his most recent purchase, kicked off his shoes and stood on the bed. He was well at work before Mercedes returned, carrying a plate of turkey and Swiss cheese sandwiches and two cans of Diet Coke. _

_"Boy, I _know_ you're not standing on my bed!"_

_"Calm down, I took my shoes off." Sam replied while keeping his eyes trained on the ceiling. _

_Mercedes put their lunch on the nightstand and took a closer look at what Sam was doing. _

_"Glow-in-the-dark stars?"_

_"Yup. I drew the stars visible from Lima," Sam tapped his foot on the sketchbook, "and I'm copying them up here. So we can stargaze without the rain."_

_Mercedes quietly watched Sam work with bright eyes. _This guy is so sweet and I am so lucky.

_Sam hopped down from the bed. _

_"Finished?" Mercedes asked._

_"Not quite." Sam closed the blinds but opened the windows slightly to let in the scent of wet grass, lit the candles on Mercedes' vanity and switched off the lights. When he went to close the door she opened it again. _

_"Mom's conversation in the kitchen wasn't about food. I had to promise to keep the door open," Mercedes explained. "But it's okay." She untied the curtains from the bedposts to form a mock-tent. _

_The two climbed into the bed and lay on their backs, gazing at the artificial celestial pattern on her ceiling. Mercedes turned on her stereo, took a deep breath of the damp earth scent and let out a sigh._

_"I think this is my favorite type of camping."_

_Sam chuckled, "You may have been raised in the suburbs, but you're a city girl at heart."_

_The couple chatted softly as the music played, updating the other on their lives. Sam rested his right hand behind his head and closed his eyes but was distinctly aware of Mercedes nervously fiddling with a throw pillow. The conversation dwindled to a silence as Adele's "Daydreamer" poured from the speakers. _

_**Daydreamer**_

_**Sitting on the sea, soaking up the sun**_

_**He is a real lover**_

_**Of making up the past and feeling up his girl**_

**_Like he's never felt a figure before_**

_Sam found himself empathizing with the subject of the song. His fingers always itched to stroke his girl's curves._

_**A jaw dropper**_

_**Looks good when he walks, he is the subject of their talk**_

_**He would be hard to chase**_

_**But good to catch, and he could change the world**_

**_With his hands behind his back, _**_**o**_**_h_**

_Sam crept his free hand close to Mercedes', brushing the backs of them together. To his pleasure she turned her palm over so she could grasp his hand tight. _

_**You can find him sitting on your doorstep**_

_**Waiting for a surprise**_

_**And he will feel like he's been there for hours**_

**_And you can tell that he'll be there for life_**

_Sam turned on his side and gazed down at his girlfriend. Her eyes met his and watched as his flicked down to her lips and slowly tilted his head until their lips met. _

**_Daydreamer_**

_**With eyes that make you melt, he lends his coat for shelter**_

_**Plus he's there for you when he shouldn't be**_

_**But he stays all the same, waits for you**_

_**Then sees you through**_

_After moments of kissing, Mercedes' shyness was a thing of the past. Her tongue tangled with Sam's and she pressed her body flush against his. _

_**There's no way I could describe him**_

**_What I've said is just what I'm hoping for_**

_Sam now had one hand cupping Mercedes' face while the other roamed from her waist to her hips and down to her ass, squeezing with his broad hand, only to work his way up again. Sam repeated this motion until he gathered enough nerves to cup her breast— uncharted territory. _

**_But I will find him sitting on my doorstep_**

_**Waiting for a surprise**_

_**And he will feel like he's been there for hours**_

_**And I can tell that he'll be there for life**_

_He was encouraged when Mercedes responded with a moan and pushed even closer to him and ran her hand across his abs. Her kisses got more aggressive and Sam decided to take a chance and try to liberate her from her t-shirt. _

_**And I can tell that he'll be there for life**_

_Mercedes was on the same page as Sam. She was too eager to be self-conscious about being shirtless, too focused on his lips moving down her neck and towards her cleavage to register the changing tracks on her stereo. To Sam, the only music he could hear was Mercedes' labored pants for air and deep moans. That was, until they were interrupted by his phone._

Sam leaned in Mercedes' doorframe with a glazed look on his face. Mercedes noticed his silence and asked:

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"Just thinking about our first indoor camping trip," Sam replied with a smirk.

Mercedes smiled, "You know, you never did eat lunch that day."

"That's alright. I had a different appetite that needed satisfying."

Mercedes blushed deeply; she remembered that day as vividly as he did. She knew that if his mother's phone call hadn't interrupted them when it did, they would have hurdled past second base and onto third.

Mercedes cleared her throat and tried to change the subject, pulling out her laptop and tossing Sam some DVDs to choose from. Once everything was set up, they settled on the bed, trying not to think about all the previous activities held on that surface. They quickly fell into the same comfortable position of the past; Mercedes rested her head on Sam's chest and burrowed her face in to smother her laughter as he quoted _Anchorman_, and mimicked the actors' voices.

At times their attention strayed from the well-loved movie in favor of comfortable conversation. They spoke in soft tones, covering a variety of subjects. It was during a pause in conversation that Mercedes shifted her eyes to study Sam's face. After a beat, she tilted her head upwards and pressed a kiss to his lips.

Sam sat up with a start, putting space between their bodies. He looked dumbfounded. Mercedes stared back with wide eyes.

"Sorry?"

Sam's eyes focused in on Mercedes' face. "What?... Oh! No, don't... No," flustered, he ran his hands through his hair. "Umm, no."

"No?"

"I can't. I'm just not…" Sam tried to search for the right word. "…ready."

"Oh."

An awkward silence settled between the two.

"Umm... I think I should go." Before Mercedes could respond, Sam was putting on his shoes, heading down the stairs and opening the front door.

"Wait! Here." Mercedes held out a small gift bag.

"I can't—"

"_Please_. Just... take it, ok?"

Sam nodded his acceptance and mumbled a soft, "Thanks."

As he crossed the threshold into the late afternoon air, he turned back and looked at the girl he'd just rejected.

"MJ, I really am sorry."

Mercedes responded with a brusque nod and shut the door behind him. She rested her back against it as she had done when he arrived. But this time, she slid down to a seated position, wrapping her arms around her legs and resting her forehead on her knees. Her shoulders shook with her sobs.

Outside, Sam tried to ignore the sound of heartbreak and shuffled to his truck. Once inside, he rested his gift on the passenger's seat and banged his head several times against the steering wheel. When he realized that it was doing nothing to organize his tumultuous thoughts, he started the ignition and pulled away from the curb, wondering if he had made a mistake.

**_Sorry! Sorry! Please forgive me! I know there were hopes that this wouldn't happen, but as corny as it sounds everything happens for a reason. This had been in my mind since a few chapters ago and I found it necessary to include. Also, this is in the angst category for a reason. But never fear, Samcedes is endgame._**

**_"Daydreamer" seems to have become Sam's theme song in the fanon and I'm a big supporter of it cuz I think that's perfect. Hence, the appearance._**

**_Random self-criticism, Sam's phone seems to interrupt quite a bit. He should just silence it, haha. _**

**_Stick around for the next chapter and please review with your thoughts! (Sorry, again)_**


	11. Chapter 11

**_Hey guys! I'm glad that no one hates me for the angst of last chapter. Also, I'm happy a lot of you guys noticed the parallels between chapter 10 and the Yes/No episode in S3. Sorry this chapter took longer than anticipated, but I wrote more than usual so I hope this makes up for it! (Side note: I know I shouldn't be surprised that there wasn't any type of Samcedes interaction at the wedding but I'm still pissed. Guaranteed not to go down like that in this version!)_**

**_Chapter 11_**

When Mrs. Jones arrived home, she was greeted by the sight of her daughter, still sitting in the entryway, crying her eyes out.

"Baby, what's wrong?" She asked, startled to see Mercedes so distraught. When she left the house earlier, the young lady was downright chipper.

Mercedes responded with renewed sobs and unintelligible words.

_This isn't going to work_. Cynthia thought as she put down her shopping bags and purse. She crouched next to her daughter, coaxing her to stand and make her way to the den. Mother and daughter sat on the couch and Cynthia tried to get a clearer answer.

"What happened?"

Once again, Mercedes answered tearfully, but this time "Sam" was intelligible.

The mention of her daughter's ex-boyfriend caught Cynthia's attention. She was always a fan of Sam's; he won her over with his southern manners and goofy charm. But that didn't mean she wouldn't break him if she had to.

"Sam? Honey, did he...?" She couldn't bring herself to verbalize her fear.

Mercedes eyes widened at Mrs. Jones' insinuation.

"Momma! Sam would never!" Mercedes defended before adding, "And he made it quite clear that he doesn't want me at all."

Cynthia sighed internally in relief that the drama wasn't nearly as serious as she feared. Simple heartbreak was familiar and manageable for her. She tried to ignore her own discomfort that Mercedes' response implied that an offer of sex was on the table. Cynthia wasn't naive enough to believe that she and Sam had never had sex. When the couple thought they were alone they moved with a level of intimacy and familiarity that the advancement of their physical relationship was nearly obvious. Dr. Jones liked to play dumb, but Mercedes' mother trusted her daughter and left reminders to refill her birth control for good measure.

Cynthia went to work on soothing her daughter's hurt feelings. She turned on the television and flipped the channel to Lifetime.

"Lay down; I'll be back." Cynthia left her daughter to dial the Cohen-Chang family on the kitchen phone.

"Hey, Honey!... No, I'm actually calling for you. 'Cedes needs you to come over ASAP... Not really sure, she's been crying a while but I know it has to do with Sam... Hello? Tina?"

Cynthia Jones chuckled at the dead-air on the other end of the line. She hung up and made her way over to the refrigerator and groped around the back of the freezer. Behind an assortment of frozen vegetables was her emergency rocky road ice cream. Grabbing three spoons and an unopened box of tissues from the pantry, she headed back to the den to rejoin her daughter who was now sniffling and curled up on the couch watching a runaway housewife meet her very own Prince Charming. Mercedes looked up to see her mother carrying provisions.

"Really, Mom?"

"Hush. I'm older and wiser and have experienced more heartbreak than you know. Trust me."

At that moment, there was a knock at the door. Mercedes looked at her mother with one eyebrow raised.

"Just a sec." Cynthia rushed to let their guest in. A moment later, Tina came barreling into the room.

"'Cedes! I sped all the way here! What happened? Everything was going so well!" She smothered her best friend in a hug.

"Slow down, girls! We have to go about this properly." Cynthia turned down the TV, opened the tissues, and handed out the spoons. Once the three women were settled on the couch with Mercedes in the middle, cradling the ice cream, her mother spoke again.

"Now, start at the beginning. And Tina, no interrupting."

Mercedes recounted recent events of the Samcedes Saga, starting from their end of summer break up, continuing through the months of silence and on to their recent reconnection. When she got to their reunion that day her voice wavered and she reached for the tissues. By the time she finished she was in tears again.

"I just don't understand! We were getting back on track and then he pulled away! After all that flirting? It just doesn't make sense!"

Cynthia looked on sympathetically and stroked Mercedes' back.

"Did you let him explain?"

"He said he wasn't 'ready.'" She added air-quotes before taking a big scoop of ice cream.

"Ugh," Tina groaned. "I blame Blaine."

Both Jones women turned to Tina with matching expectant expressions.

"Explain," Mercedes urged.

"Well, you know how Sam and Blaine have a bit of a bromance going on?"

Mercedes nodded briskly and Mrs. Jones raised an eyebrow.

"They're BFFs," Tina clarified. "Anyway, he's been giving Sam advice like, 'Team Sam first, Team Samcedes second' and all that."

"What!?" Mercedes interrupted. "Why doesn't he want us to get back together? He needs to mind his business."

Tina was surprised, "No! No no, not like that! I just mean that he's really been encouraging him to stay focused on bettering himself, reaching his goals and all that. He still wants you back together, but he just wants to keep Sam from forgetting to take care of himself."

"Wise advice," Cynthia commented. "I'm pretty sure you just said that you gave him that same advice."

"And he's been taking it really seriously," Tina continued. "He's always busy studying or working or something and he looks exhausted. Yesterday he snapped at Finn cuz he was so cranky."

"Really? He seemed fine today. Everything was almost the same as before. Until he freaked out."

"Probably cuz he was so excited to see you. I know for a fact that he was counting down the days. I just wish he didn't chicken out. I thought this was what he wanted."

"Well girls, from what I know about Sam he seems like the traditional type. And from what you've been saying he's taking this self-improvement thing quite seriously. Your father was the same way. We dated for ages but he refused to propose until he had a steady job with benefits. I almost went crazy with waiting, but it was a point of pride for him and I had to respect that." Cynthia smiled fondly, remembering the romance of her young relationship.

Mercedes sighed frustrated, "That sounds just like Sam, but the problem is, I'm not asking for marriage. I just want to know that he still wants to do this cuz I don't have to wait around for him."

"Diva, don't be ridiculous," Tina said. "Everything about this backwards situation screams that he still wants you. I know you're pissed cuz you finally made the first move— I'm really proud of you by the way— but you need to be patient with him. Remember, he was patient with you with all that Shane crap."

Mercedes sat silently, absorbing her mother's and her best friend's words. The trio continued to eat ice cream and watched the television with only half the attention required to follow the drama. After a few minutes Mercedes broke the silence with a voice only slightly louder than a whisper.

"I know you guys are right but it still hurts. I love him and he _rejected_ me."

It broke Cynthia's heart to see her daughter so sad. "Honey, you have every right to be upset. Just don't let this stop all the progress that's been happening. Sam's a male and sometimes they have a hard time explaining their actions. Try to forgive him."

With that, the trio turned their attention back to the television set and the housewife's mission of revenge.

It wasn't much later that Dr. Andre Jones retuned home. Hearing the television on in the den he went to greet his daughter, only to see that his wife and Tina accompanied her.

"Hello ladies," Andre took in the state of the den: crumpled tissues scattered the floor and the coffee table was home to an empty carton of ice cream. "Is there anything I should know?"

"I've got it handled, Babe," Cynthia replied.

Andre looked at his daughter, noting in her red-rimmed eyes and tear-stained cheeks. "You sure, Babygirl? Your brother comes back tomorrow and I'm sure between the two of us we can handle it."

Mercedes flashed a watery smile. "I'm fine, Daddy."

At that moment, a scream was heard through the television set. Andre turned to see the protagonist swinging a golf club through her husband's big screen TV and proceeding to make a bonfire out of his possessions. He winced.

"Okay, then... I'm gonna go... somewhere else." With that, he turned to leave the ladies back to their entertainment.

The three women laughed and turned back to the movie. It was about an hour later that Mercedes' phone chimed a text message alert. She took her Droid out of her pocket and froze when she saw the name on the screen.

"What's up 'Cedes?" Tina asked.

"Sam just texted me."

Cynthia turned her attention to the two teens but stayed quiet.

"Well, what are you waiting for? What did he say!?" Tina urged.

Mercedes swiped at the screen and read the message aloud:

**Just wanted to let you know I got back to Kentucky safe. Hope we can talk about what happened soon.**

"What are you going to say?" Tina looked over Mercedes' shoulder, watching her type furiously. She read it out for her friend's mother to hear:

**I don't think I'm "ready" for that yet. Tell your family I said hi.**

"Diva, I know you're upset but don't you think that's a bit harsh?"

"And insensitive," Cynthia added.

"Too late. I sent it already." Mercedes replied flippantly.

Cynthia sighed and got up from the couch.

"Good luck with that." She placed a kiss to Mercedes' forehead and swept out the room._There's only so much I can do. Sometimes she has to make her own mistakes._

At that moment Sam sat in his truck, parked outside his family home. He stared at her reply in disbelief.

"Did she really just say that? Doesn't she know I'm doing this for her?" Sam ranted to himself, "Whatever, she wouldn't be Mercedes without the attitude problem."

Sam roughly gathered his belongings and made it up the pathway. The icicle lights on the porch awning started to lift his spirits. Sam pulled out his key ring and selected the key he hadn't used in too long. _This time is about my family— the people who love me. I'll deal with Mercedes and her drama later._

Sam opened the door to the smell of food cooking and the sounds of Christmas music and excited chatter. He put his things down in the foyer and peeked in the living room. His father was trying to put up the tree while his mother looked on, making sure it was upright. Stevie and Stacy sat on the floor playing with ornaments. Stacy noticed him first and let out a shriek.

"Sammy! You're back!" She ran and flung herself into his arms. Stevie wasn't far behind.

"We missed you," he mumbled into his brother's shoulder.

"I missed you guys too," Sam replied.

After a few more moments of squeezing each other, the siblings broke apart from their group hug. Sam grinned and approached his parents.

"Hey, Dad! The tree looks great."

Dwight Evans smiled and pulled his son in for a hug. Upon releasing him he ruffled Sam's hair and said, "It's good to have you home, Son."

"It's good to be home." Sam looked over to see tears in his mother's eyes. "Aw, Ma! Don't cry."

"I can't help it. I'm so happy to see you." Mary Evans gripped Sam in a tight hug. "You look more and more like a grown man every time I see you."

"I'm happy to see you too. I missed you tons."

Then Sam's stomach spoke up, letting out a growl the whole family could hear. Sam blushed while his siblings erupted in giggles.

"Honey, you've got to be starving! Wash up quick and we'll have dinner. I made your favorites." Mary hurried off to the kitchen to put the finishing touches on the meal.

Dinner at the Evans household was the same as it had ever been. Stevie and Stacy squabbled over who got to sit where, Dwight opened the meal with a prayer and they all ate enthusiastically. The conversation was lively and full of laughter. They all wanted to share everything that had happened since the last time they had seen each other. Since Sectionals fell on Thanksgiving that year, it had been quite a while since they had seen each other face to face without a computer screen between them.

"So, have you been able to see any of your friends that graduated yet?" Mary asked Sam.

"Yeah, all of them actually. Puck came by a couple times. Most of them were back for Grease, Sectionals, and Thanksgiving."

"Wow, you would think they would be too busy or broke to visit so much." Dwight commented.

"Didja see 'Cedes?" Stacy piped up. Ever since her introduction to the teen Stacy had developed a bit of an obsession with Mercedes.

"Yeah. She says hi."

Stacy beamed at being acknowledged by her idol while Mr. and Mrs. Evans shared a look that commented on Sam's flat, unenthusiastic response. Sam quickly changed the subject.

"Stevie, did you get the last comic I sent you? I'm working on the next one but I want your input before I add ink."

Stevie launched into a full review of his brother's comic book series. The two had been at work on it for about a year as a way to stay connected while Sam was in Lima. Sam liked having an ongoing artistic outlet and Stevie was an enthusiastic audience with endless recommendations.

After dinner and dessert were had, Sam tried to help clear the table but Mary just shooed him away. Sam dragged his bags to his room and dumped them on the floor. He collapsed on his bed and a wave of exhaustion fell over him. Out the corner of his eye he noticed the gift Mercedes had given him. He knew she would prefer that he waited until Christmas, but curiosity got the better of him. He dug in the gift bag to find a small box. He opened it to find a set of a dozen guitar picks, all engraved with his initials: **_SE_**. He smiled to himself remembering all the times he complained to Mercedes about Puck and Joe stealing his guitar picks. Sam wanted to call her to express his thanks, but was afraid that it would go unanswered. He resolved to text her instead.

**I broke down and opened your gift early, sorry. Thanks so much for the picks. They're perfect! :)**

Sam sat and watched his phone for a response. Several minutes went by and he still had nothing. He had hoped that at the very least she would reply with "you're welcome" or a basic "np" but he had no luck. Sam let out a growl of frustration and dialed Blaine.

"Hey, Sam! How was the drive? You get back okay?"

"Yeah, it was fine… Do you have a minute?"

"Sure, what's up?"

"Dude, I'm pretty sure Mercedes hates me."

"What? That's impossible."

"She's ignoring me. And I get it. I screwed up."

"Oh no, what did you do?"

Sam recounted the events of the afternoon while Blaine gave him his undivided attention.

"…So you see? She's pissed and I think everything we worked for has gone down the drain."

"Sam, don't worry about it; I'm sure it will work out fine. She's just upset because you kind of rejected her."

"I didn't mean it like that!"

"I know. But I get it, cuz remember, I'm Team Sam. I think you're right to be careful. Just give her some time. You've seen her 'diva-out' before and if I know anything from dating Kurt, it's to let a Diva have their space and venting time before you try and get into it."

Sam sighed, "I know, I just wish she would let me explain. I'm afraid if I wait too long I'll lose my chance. I just _know_ she's talking about it to Tina and I really don't feel like being yelled at again. People think she's quiet but she can be really scary sometimes."

"I'll handle Tina. You just worry about you. Don't let this derail your plans, and I'm sure that if you give Mercedes a few days it will all be cleared up."

"Thanks bro, I'll talk to you later."

"Anytime. Bye."

As Sam hung up, he heard a knock on the door.

"Yeah?" he answered without getting up.

Dwight Evans opened the door. "You got a minute for your old man?"

"Sure Dad, what's up?" Sam scooted over and Dwight took a seat on the bed.

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation—"

"Dad, it's under control."

"You may think so, but as your father and a grown and happily married man, it's my duty to offer you some advice."

Sam rolled his eyes good-naturedly and said, "Okay, let me have it."

"First, when did you and Mercedes start talking again? Last I heard you went your separate ways."

Sam ran through everything that happened the past few months. He knew better than to lie or omit anything no matter how embarrassed he was by his father's animated reactions.

"You tried to get married to some random girl?"

"She wasn't random! She's a friend of mine!" Sam tried to defend himself.

"You just better hope that your mother and Stacy never find out. They would never forgive you."

"Anyway…" Sam continued to tell his father about his reconciliation with Mercedes, his self-improvement plan and his hasty exit from Lima.

"Well, Son, I've got two things to say. One, I'm proud of you for owning up to your mistake and taking responsibility for your future."

"Thanks."

"_But_, like I told you before you left last year, I want you to remember to enjoy life. You've had enough hardship to last a lifetime already and I feel terrible that you had to grow up so fast. Things have gotten better though, and your mother and I are still your parents, so please remember that we are here to take care of you, including finding a way to pay for college. You just need to pick one. And if you don't get into the one you want, it's okay. Come back home and take some community college courses, work a little and try again. It's not the end of the world."

Sam nodded silently. He realized that his father's affirmations were exactly what he needed. He was surprised how good it felt to have his efforts acknowledged by his father, one of the hardest working people he knew.

"Now the other thing is: you messed up, and you need to apologize."

"What!? I didn't do anything wrong! I didn't want to say no but I knew I had to. I'm still fixing things. So in a way, I did it for her."

"Didn't you once tell me that Mercedes can be shy? Don't you think it hurt her feelings to basically run out the door when she laid it all on the line?"

"Yes," Sam mumbled.

"Girls like Mercedes don't do that for any old guy. Clearly, she can see all this self-improvement that you're doing. And like you said, you're doing it for yourself, but you're also doing it for her. You've put it the work and she sees that you deserve a reward."

"But I'm not finished."

"And you never will be. Perfection is impossible, Sam. And there comes a time in every relationship where you've done as much as you can alone, and the next step is to keep improving _together_."

Sam sat, taking in his father's wisdom. Dwight stood to leave him alone with his thoughts. Right before he left he made one last comment.

"When it comes to life and to love, it's important to remember that the work is worthless if you can't enjoy the fruits of your labor. You need to enjoy life and enjoy being young and in love. Goodnight."

**_Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it! Please review and let me know what you think and maybe even what you want to see in the future. _**


	12. Chapter 12

_**Hey guys! Thanks for all your responses to last chapter! I totally understand your Mercedes frustrations... unfortunately this chapter doesn't get to the root of it all, but please hold out to next chapter when we hear from our diva. I feel like I'm supposed to warn people about the religious part of this chapter, but then again, God Squad... duh. Thanks again to all the readers, followers, favoriters, and especially reviewers. You've passed the 100 mark! Couldn't do it all without you. Enjoy!**_

_****__**Chapter 12**_

Sam spent the next day thinking about the advice he received. During the morning's church service he prayed for the wisdom to make the right decision. Blaine was asking him to be patient while his dad wanted him to take action. Trusting his father's twenty years of marriage experience, he decided he needed to contact Mercedes as soon as possible. But he knew his girl and her skills of avoidance. Phone calls and Skype requests are too easily ignored. But it was damn near impossible to separate her from Facebook, Twitter, and texting.

Sam resolved to send Mercedes a message every day through all three avenues. Nothing too long or intense, just enough to keep him on her mind and keep away whatever uncertainty she undoubtedly had about his feelings. He pulled out his phone, thought a moment and composed his message:

**I'm sorry yesterday was ruined. Whenever you want to talk about it, I'm available.**

Sam sent off the text and sent duplicates to her Facebook inbox and Twitter direct message box. The time for public displays and trending topics was over. Now it was time for them to address the root of the problem in their relationship, and that required a certain level of privacy. Of course he appreciated everyone's support and advice, but when it came down to it, his messages were for her and not all the random people with access to her Facebook wall. While he hoped she would respond, Sam expected his first message to go unanswered. Mercedes met his expectations and stayed silent.

Sam refused to be denied and decided to try a more innocent message. The next day he sent:

**Watching Christmas movies... The Preacher's Wife is on and I thought of you.**

Again Mercedes didn't reply, but Sam was particularly pleased with this message. Mercedes couldn't resist watching Whitney Houston perform and she had a soft spot for Denzel Washington. And sure enough, minutes later Mercedes updated her Facebook status to:

**"The Preacher's Wife is on! I haven't seen this in ages! RIP Whitney."**

Of course, Sam "liked" it.

The next day was Christmas, so Sam decided to simply go with:

**Merry Christmas! Say hi to your family for me.**

To his surprise, he finally received a reply. It was pretty platonic, but it was a reply all the same:

**-Merry Christmas to you too. They said hi back. And I'm glad you liked the gift.**

A large grin spread over Sam's face. Not only did Mercedes respond, she referred to the text he sent the night everything fell apart. When Sam looked up from his phone, he noticed his father looking on with a smile.

"Good news?" Dwight asked.

"Something like that." Sam responded. _There may be hope for us yet._ Sam decided to press his luck and texted back:

**Sorry I didn't get you anything. I kinda feel bad...**

Once again Mercedes responded, but this time it was only a short **"np."** Sam decided to quit while he was ahead.

Encouraged by Mercedes' text, Sam decided the next day that he needed to redirect them to the heart of the matter.

**I'm still here. Call whenever you want.**

Unfortunately, Mercedes didn't reply this. _Have I overwhelmed her? I was really hoping she would be ready by now._ Sam was frustrated, but he didn't have time to obsess about what her inaction meant. His mother had officially kicked into high gear and was constantly telling him about all the schools she thought he'd like and the scholarships she thought he could get. Sam did his best to focus on her neatly mapped plan and eventually he was getting excited about the possibilities. They looked at schools in Ohio, Tennessee, and Kentucky, places where he already had a friend or family connection. Sam even convinced his mom to include one of the huge California State Universities in southern California. She was hesitant for him to move so far away, but he cited Puck as a potential roommate and pointed out the fact that he had been in boarding school before and was already living away from home. Of course, being close to Mercedes was also part of the appeal, but he refused to bring that up.

Maintaining his new habit, Sam sent out another round of messages that morning. Going back to his subtle approach he sent:

**Heard it snowed in Lima! Make a snow angel for me.**

It paid off, and Mercedes responded:

**-No way! I'm not feeling this cold or the thought of getting snow in my hair!**

Sam decided to reply with only a simple **"lol"** but later that day he saw that he left a bigger impression than he expected. Mercedes had changed her profile picture to a photo of her sprawled out in the snow in her front yard. She had also uploaded a whole album entitled "Snow Angels and Demons." Sam smiled fondly at the pictures of Mercedes playing in the snow. Somehow she had convinced Tina and the other glee kids to come by for what looked like an intense snowball fight. He could see the joy on her face as she played with her friends and he felt a sense of pride knowing that he made it happen. Something about those photographs renewed his patience with Mercedes. Knowing that he could inspire her to enjoy life, even when he was miles away, reminded him that she needed him as much as he needed her. They could be great alone, but they were even better together.

The following morning his message was brief:

**Thinking about you.**

Mercedes responded though she didn't directly address his sentiment.

**-Why do you always send things to Facebook and Twitter? Just a text will do.**

**For triple emphasis. I don't want you forget me since we haven't spoken in so long.**

**-Well, just texting is fine. If you want I'll just read each text three times. Lol.**

**Or maybe we could finally talk about what happened?**

**-Maybe later. I've gotta pack and get ready for my flight to LA tomorrow.**

**Fine...**

This was the longest conversation they had had in ages, and while Sam was happy about it, it was nowhere near the progress he was hoping for at this point. Part of him wanted to go ahead and call her, but he knew that if it was this arduous to get her to answer a text, there was no way she would answer her phone.

Something changed the next day. That morning Sam only sent a text, saying:

**Have a safe flight and don't forget your pillow :)**

Minutes later Mercedes responded with:

**-Thanks! I was just about to leave without it!**

Sam was glad that she hadn't clammed up again, but he was too tired of this game to respond. He pushed his phone off to the side and decided to spend the day with his siblings. Stevie and Stacey were still excited about his visit and were more than happy to keep him entertained. Movies were watched, pictures were drawn, and they made their own snow-people family in the backyard. Sam didn't look at his phone again until he went to bed that night. He was surprised to see that Mercedes had sent a text

**-I know you didn't ask but I got back safe. I'm going to sleep, but I thought I should let you know.**

It was unexpected and encouraging that Mercedes sent a text without him initiating the conversation. And she was right, if they were under normal circumstances in a functioning relationship he would have requested that she let him know when she got home. Sam took this as a sign that they were officially headed back towards the right track. Part of the weight lifted from his shoulders and he slept better than he had since arriving in Kentucky.

The following morning he sent another text, and once again, Mercedes responded.

**I miss talking to you. Maybe we can speak soon?**

**-Possibly. I'm a little busy right now though.**

Sam didn't know if he should be optimistic or annoyed by her reply. He didn't doubt that she was busy, she had just returned to Los Aangeles from an extended time off and probably had errands and work to take care of, but he still expected more from her. He had put all this effort forth but he was busy too! He had finished sending off all his scholarship applications and was crossing his fingers for good luck. The process of writing so many essays gave him headaches and asking for his mother's help was frustrating, but he got them all done. Now the deadline for his college applications was approaching and he couldn't help but worry. Had he applied to enough schools? Would he get accepted? He only applied to schools that he thought might accept an average student and he still hadn't picked a major. Was he selling himself short?

The next day was New Year's Eve. As per tradition in the Evans household, they spent the day together and reflected over the past year. 2012 had been kinder to them than 2011 had, though letting go of Sam had been hard for the others. Steady work, housing and health were blessings they had received, and they hoped that those blessings would follow them into the New Year. That evening the family headed to their church for a watchnight service. Rather than watch the ball drop on TV, they believed in starting the year in prayer.

Sam sat in the pew, wedged between his siblings. In previous years he hated going to this service, wishing instead that he could go out with friends and maybe get into a little trouble. He empathized with Stevie and Stacey, who were fidgeting in their seats. Sam, however, found himself more attentive to the sermon than he had ever been before.

"...And on this New Year's Eve I ask you to challenge yourselves. I want you to have faith that this year will be better than the last! Have faith that God will keep you and care for you and provide for you. Whether you're in a time of need or in a time of plenty. So, set goals and make plans! Have faith that 'you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you!' And if your plans don't work out as you hoped, have faith that God has his _own_ plan for you to thrive!"

Sam took in the preacher's words and applied them to his own life. It seemed like all he had been doing lately was setting goals and making plans. The stress and anxiety had been getting to him so this was the reminder he needed. Just like God had taken care of his family, he would take care of him and he would even take care of Mercedes. Things may not happen exactly as he planned— the Evans family never expected that they would wind up in Kentucky only a year after moving to Ohio— but he would wind up with exactly what he needed.

The ride home was a quite one. The little ones were fast asleep while Sam and his parents shared a reflective silence. Mr. Evans parked in the driveway and Mrs. Evans walked up to the front door. Sam followed her carrying a sleeping Stacey and Dwight came last, carrying Stevie who was drooling slightly on his shoulder. Sam and Dwight went to drop the children off in their respective bedrooms. Sam quietly crept out and shut the door behind him. He turned to go to his own room and saw Dwight waiting for him in the hallway.

"You doing okay, Son?" Dwight's forehead was wrinkled with concern.

"I think so. I think I'll feel better in a couple days when all my applications are sent out."

"I'm sure everything will be fine. I've got faith," Dwight smiled at his son.

Sam returned the smile, "Thanks, Dad."

"You work everything out with Mercedes yet?"

"Almost. I've been contacting her every day and she's started to respond, but she keeps avoiding the conversation we need to have."

"That's tough. You're making about as much of an effort as possible without physically sitting her down—" Dwight noticed Sam perk up at the idea, "—which you _cannot_ go do. It's really in her hands now, but for some reason I believe it will all work out."

"I hope so."

"Remember: faith. Now get some sleep."

Sam headed into his room and changed into an undershirt and a pair of pajama pants. He sank into his bed and checked the time. One o'clock in the morning. _It's only about ten there so she'll be up celebrating._ Sam decided to send a quick text.

**It's already 2013 here, but happy New Year's Eve to you! Please stay safe tonight!**

_Now I just need faith that she'll make the right move... and soon._

_**So... I'm not really a fan of this chapter. I found it hard to write and a little redundant. Mercedes is pissing me off too, but I'll fix that. Next chapter will feature a lot of Mercedes and some Puck! **_

_**Please review and tell me what you think! Thanks :)**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Hello there, Samcedians! So glad you guys enjoyed the last chapter! "Guest" you were particularly encouraging... I'm surprised how many people are sympathetic to Mercedes after all she's been putting Sam through, haha. Happy I got this done before tonight's episode and the end of Samcedes Week on Tumblr! (I'm not a Tumblrite, but I find myself in tumbles sometimes...) Anyway... Here you go, enjoy!**_

_**Chapter 13**_

Mercedes was nervous. The past week had her in a jumble of emotions, namely: sadness, fear, loneliness, shame, guilt, pride, anxiety, and love. True to form, Sam had taken it upon himself to repair this mess between them, but she was impeding their progress.

Initially she was hurt that Sam had shied away when he did. It was embarrassing to think that she may have read his signals wrong or come on too strong. She couldn't deny the truth in Tina and her mother's words, but the rush of emotions that Sam inspired overcame all logic.

Then Sam had to go and be his typical sweet self. Mercedes almost wanted to be angry at him for being so understanding. He found a way to insinuate himself into her everyday life through his daily messages and it frustrated her. Shame and pride kept her from responding, and though she didn't want to admit it, she read his messages repeatedly throughout the day. It seemed like he always knew what to say, and she found herself answering mentally. And when she could get the courage to respond, she did as platonically and subtly as possible.

Her facade officially caved when he suggested she play in the snow. It was such a classic Sam idea and even though it wasn't something she would ever initiate, she got the feeling that this time it was something she _needed_ to do.

She definitely caught Tina off guard when she made the suggestion.

"You want to do _what_?"

"Play in the snow. I've said it twice already."

"I just had to make sure I wasn't hearing things, cuz that's absolutely crazy. You _hate_ the cold."

"I know. But I still want to. What are you doing now? You've gotta come over cuz I can't play by myself like a loser."

Tina laughed, "Well Mike is around for the holiday-"

"Bring him. You guys can have 'quality time' later. In fact, we should invite all the glee kids. We could have cocoa or whatever. I know Santana is getting her 'lady kisses' on with Brittany, and Puck is bonding with his brother, sister, and their moms, but it would be nice to see the others. Don't know if Finn or Quinn are up for it, but I miss Sugar, Joe, Artie, Blaine, and my girl Unique. And the newbies like that Marley girl seem sweet."

"It's weird how excited you are but okay. I know Unique will love to see you though I think she will be just as thrilled as you usually are about the snow."

Within an hour everything was in full swing. There were varying levels of excitement originally, but soon they were all having fun, even Unique and Kitty. Artie stayed near the porch with Mercedes' brother Marcus and became the self-appointed photographer of the ruckus.

Later that day, Mercedes uploaded the photos with a smile, happy that she had taken Sam's advice. He often really did know best.

After her day in the snow, Mercedes was determined to respond to Sam's messages. Granted, she didn't really stay on topic, but it was better than nothing. He managed to incite her nervousness and anxiety whenever he was serious, and she prayed for the bravery to eventually truly speak to him because as each day passed she became even more lonely for him.

Before she knew it it was time for her to return to LA. She felt a strange mix of disappointment and relief that she was going back. Mercedes had really hoped that she would have gotten over everything and talked to Sam by now, but she was also happy to return to her busy life in LA. She wasn't surprised that Sam had wished her farewell, that was practically a tradition of his, but she was thrown off by the fact that he didn't check on her later. She knew it wasn't fair that she felt this way considering all she had been putting him through, but it still bothered her. She waited until she was going to sleep and he still had not contacted her. This disturbed her so much that she sent a text without him initiating the conversation. It was nerve wracking just to press "send" but she was proud that she did. _Maybe I'm getting close to finally dealing with this mess._

When asked again to talk, her nerves came back. She knew she was blowing him off with her request to do it later, but she did actually have a lot of things to do. Today was New Year's Eve and she had yet to find the right outfit for the label's party that night. But before she could go shopping she had to head to the studio for a last minute rehearsal for the night's performance. Tonight would showcase the newest artist on the label as well as some of their veterans and she, Rhesa and Damon were singing backup for the opening acts.

The day sped by and soon Mercedes found herself rushing into the hotel ballroom. One hand gripped her silver clutch that matched her silver platform pumps while her other hand pulled Puck, her plus-one alongside her.

"Mama, I love you but I'm gonna need you to let go of me. I don't want all these fine honeys to think the Puckasaurus is bringing sand to the beach."

Mercedes dropped his arm a straightened out her sequined black dress. "You're a mess. Go and do your thing, just text me if you're taking off with one of those 'honeys' so I don't wait around for you."

They parted ways; Puck headed towards the bar while Mercedes went search of Rhesa. She found the tall, light-skinned twenty-something woman backstage going through vocal warm ups.

"Hey, Divette! Lookin' good!"

"Really?" Mercedes replied, "It's not too much? Cuz I feel like a disco ball."

"Girl, it's New Year's! You're supposed to sparkle!" Rhesa replied with a gesture to her own skin-tight, glittering navy dress.

Mercedes smiled, encouraged. Rhesa had become something of a big sister and fairy godmother since her arrival in LA. Between her and Damon there was no shortage of advice on how to get by in the city and the industry.

The two met up with the other singers and did a quick run through of the lineup. They all agreed to meet again in twenty minutes to start the show. Mercedes stopped to take it all in. Sparkling lights were hung from the ceiling, fully stocked bars were placed at opposite sides of the room. Attractive men and women in modified tuxedo outfits mingled through the crowd, offering champagne and hors d'oeuvres. _Wow... This is the real deal. I'm definitely not in Lima anymore. _Mercedes was ripped from her gaping by an excited Damon, who linked his arm with her's and dragged her to one of the bars.

"Come on Divette, let's get a drink in you before the show starts."

"I dunno... I want to be on the top of my game."

"One drink won't hurt. Plus you need something to loosen you up. You've been looking positively depressing since you got back from vacation."

Mercedes sighed. _Has is been that obvious?_ "Okay, one drink and then we go backstage."

"Great. And I need you to be my wingwoman while I talk to that fine bartender. I'm _positive_ he's batting for my team." Damon nodded at a muscular Latino man working busily behind the bar.

Twenty minutes, two glasses of champagne, and one lesson in gaydar later, Mercedes was backstage, tucking her things away before walking on stage. She felt her phone vibrate a chanced a glance at it. Sam.

**-It's already 2013 here, but happy New Year's Eve to you! Please stay safe tonight!**

The thoughtfulness of the text combined with the excitement of the evening and her first taste of champagne gave Mercedes a rush of enthusiasm and adrenaline. She went to type a reply when she heard Rhesa yell to her:

"C'mon Jones! Get your ass on stage before Boss-man notices!"

Mercedes dropped everything and ran to the stage as fast as her heels would allow. "Boss-man," also known as Lou Brighton, was the owner of OceanView Records. Lou was a charming older man who was well respected in the local music community. He was always friendly with his employees and associates but Mercedes knew better than to test him. When it came to business, Lou was always serious and a stickler for professionalism.

As Mercedes sang backup for her first official performance she looked out on the dancing crowd and couldn't help but compare that moment to all the times she sang backup in the New Directions. Though her role was the same or even less involved without "wailing on a glory note" at the end, she felt joy that couldn't compare to any of the times she performed on stage in Glee.

_It's all about the people and place._

Before she knew it, the set was over. All the musicians took their bows and made their exits. Mercedes followed her new partners in crime but not before collecting her things from backstage. The three sat at the bar where the hot Latino bartender- Raul, who confirmed he was batting for Damon's team- served up several rounds of his specialty cocktails. The trio gushed about the performance and critiqued the wardrobe choices of the other guests. Mercedes was waxing poetic about her newfound love of champagne when Rhesa interrupted her.

"So, Ms. Jones, what was all that business with your phone earlier?"

Mercedes tried to hide a smile but failed miserably.

"Ooh, was it that tall drink of milk you've got back on the farmland?" Damon asked.

"First off, I didn't live on a farm. Second, 'tall drink of milk?'"

Rhesa smirked. "We've seen the photos. He's tall, white, and it looks like he does the body good!"

Mercedes blushed but laughed along with her friends. "Yes, it was Sam. He just wished me a happy new year."

"And did you reply?"

"No, I was going to, but it was awkward. I may have gotten mad at him before I left and started some shit."

Rhesa and Damon shared an amused look. They always teased the young girl from the midwest for acting so well-behaved, but when she partied and drank with them she always showed her foul-mouthed diva side came out.

"Well you know you need to apologize. Doesn't matter what happened. New year, new you." Rhesa advised.

"She's scared." Puck seemed to appear out of nowhere. "But she needs to suck it up cuz Sam's awesome and doesn't stay single for long. You know what they say, 'if you snooze, you lose. That's the rules.'"

Mercedes rolled her eyes, "He would never-"

"Noah, my love!" Damon exclaimed, "It's been a while. I was thinking: new year, new experiences. Why not try it out? You might like it." He gave Puck an exaggerated wink.

Puck laughed off the playful flirting that had become something of a routine. "Sorry dude. Puckzilla only swings one way, and that's in the direction of that China doll at the end of the bar."

The group erupted in laughter.

"Good luck with that," Rhesa laughed.

"Oh, I don't need luck. The deal is all but sealed. I just need the car keys." Puck held out his hand to Mercedes.

She dug through her purse and slapped the keys into his palm. "Have fun and be careful. I'll take a cab."

Puck raised an eyebrow, surprised. _She must be drunk cuz she's _never _given up her car keys so easily. _Puck decided not to question it and went back over to the Asian woman waiting for him.

Rhesa took it upon herself to continue their conversation from earlier.

"So from all accounts this Sam guy seems absolutely perfect. So it's time to call and win your man back."

"I will."

"_Now_."

"He's probably sleeping now."

"Then wake him up. You're not leaving this bar until you've called."

Mercedes groaned, resigned, and pulled out her phone. Slowly, she scrolled through her contacts and paused at Sam's name. She scrunched her face as if she was in pain, took a deep breath, and blew out heavily. She tapped the screen.

Rhesa and Damon leaned closer to hear the phone ringing and a raspy voice answer:

"Hello?"

"Hey, Sammy, it's me."

Sam cleared his throat, "'Cedes?"

Mercedes smiled softly, "Yeah. Can we talk? Or is it too late? I can call back-"

"No! Now's fine."

Rhesa grinned and Damon clapped his hands softly and excitedly. Both shooed Mercedes out into the hallway.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to call you."

"I forgive you. But my question is, why did it take you a week to call me back?"

"I don't know, I think I was afraid of what you would say."

"But I _texted everyday_! You had to have known that I wanted to work it out."

"I know! But I was hurt and angry and embarrassed. And I had _no idea _how to express it all-"

_Well, it seems like you're on a roll now_. Sam thought.

"-and in the meantime, you're in Kentucky, being so fucking perfect taking care of your own business and still dealing with me and all my shit." Mercedes' voice started to waver. "I'm so sorry, Sammy! I was such a bitch to you!"

"Hey! Hey now, don't you ever say that! 'You're not a bitch, you're a diva. There's a big difference.' You used to say that all the time."

Mercedes was now sniffling. "There you go again! Fuckin' perfect and I acted like a brat!"

"MJ, are you okay? Are you crying?"

Mercedes wiped away the tears on her cheeks and cleared her throat. "Don't worry about it. I was introduced to champagne tonight and it's making me a little emotional."

_That explains all the swearing._ "I can't talk to you like this. Do you have a ride home?"

"I'm taking a cab." Mercedes sniffled again.

"Good. Get home safe and sleep this off. Hopefully you'll remember this and call me when you're sober."

Sam hung up abruptly.

Mercedes stood still for a moment, surprised. She wiped her eyes, careful not to smudge her makeup and ducked back in the ballroom to pick up her coat. She managed to dodge her coworkers and slowly walked to the front entrance to hail a taxi, listening to the shouts emanating from the ballroom.

"...Three, two, one! HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

_Sure_.

**_Did you like it? Let me know, please! Less Puck than planned but he shows up again probably next chapter. You got to meet Rhesa and Damon! (I'm proud of them, but I'm gonna avoid going overboard with original characters.) Samcedes convo! I think Sam was understandably frustrated, but they WILL speak again. Samcedes Forever! Thanks for reading :)_**


	14. Chapter 14

**_Hey everyone! Thanks for all the views and reviews for the last chapter! Hello to all the new followers and favorite-rs too! There has been a lot of drama about Mercedes and Sam's lack of communication, but this one has the big talk! Hope it's satisfying..._**

**Chapter 14**

Mercedes woke up the next morning feeling like utter shit. She was halfway under the covers, still in her party dress. Both shoes were off, though one rested on the floor while the other was on the foot of her bed. Mercedes groaned and rolled over, slowly sitting up and resting her feet on the floor. A wave of nausea passed over her and she stood and ran to the bathroom as fast as her little feet would carry her.

Upon her arrival to the bathroom, she quickly leaned over the toilet and emptied the contents of her stomach. _So much better._ Mercedes brushed her teeth while going to the kitchen for a cold glass of water and brought it back to the bathroom with her. After rinsing her mouth and downing half of the water, she stripped down and got into the shower. Her head was in a fog and she was moving in slow motion, but once she got out and dried off she was feeling slightly better.

Mercedes worked her way through her morning routine. She dressed in leggings, sneakers, and an oversized shirt topped with a purple hoodie that may or may not have been Sam's. Mercedes took pain medicine for her head, grabbed her coat and a purse and left her apartment.

Mercedes walked down the hallway to Puck's apartment, passing an Asian girl in a party dress. She shook her head in amusement and knocked on Puck's apartment door. The door swung open to reveal Puck in just his boxer shorts.

"Back for more?" He looked down and realized who was standing there. "Oh. It's you."

"Yup, just little old me."

Puck looked her up and down, taking in casual clothes and sad face.

"No offence, Mama, but you're looking kinda rough. Everything okay?"

"Thanks," she replied with an unamused expression. "I just came by to get my car keys; I don't remember much, but I do remember giving them to you, though I'm shocked that I did."

"Sure, lemme just grab some clothes and we'll head out."

"Out?"

"Yup! We need to feed your obvious hangover and I've worked up an appetite myself." Puck gave a rakish wink and closed his bedroom door behind him.

The pair sat across from each other in a booth at Denny's. Mercedes, eyes covered by large sunglasses, huddled over her mug of coffee. Puck looked up from his Grand Slam.

"Make sure to eat your pancakes. The starch will help."

Mercedes let out a soft groan and slid her pancakes closer to her. They ate in companionable silence until Puck broke it.

"First big performance, first big LA party. Did you have a good time? Cuz I sure did. And so did China Doll."

"Mostly a blur, but I think I had fun." Mercedes smirked at him from behind her sunglasses, "are you really still calling her 'China Doll?' Kinda racist."

"It's a pet name cuz I can't pronounce her real name. And to be fair, she's actually Chinese."

Mercedes laughed and returned her attention to her meal. After finishing her second cup of coffee, she let out a shocked gasp, interrupting Puck's monologue.

He looked at her, concerned. "You okay? Need to puke again?"

"No," Mercedes replied softly, "I just remembered what happened last night. I drunk dialed Sam and screwed everything up worse than it already is."

"You think he's pissed?"

"I think so," she let out a frustrated groan, "and if he isn't he should be. I refused to talk to him for a week, and then when I finally do, I'm sobbing drunkenly at three AM in his timezone."

"You know what you need to do then."

"Yeah. You ready to go? I'll pay and then we'll head to the car.

"Nope, you head to the car. Just don't chicken out on the way there." Puck handed her her car keys. "And I'll pay; I owe you since you kinda helped me get laid."

"Gross."

Mercedes nervously tapped her fingers on the steering wheel the whole ride home. After parking in their building's lot, she unlocked the door, taking longer that usual on account of her shaking hand. Puck observed her quietly. Once outside her apartment she turned to her friend and said,

"Wish me luck."

Puck grabbed her shoulders to get Mercedes's attention.

"You don't need it. He loves you, remember?"

She nodded once and entered her apartment while Puck headed down the hall to his. Mercedes quickly went about setting up her laptop on her coffee table and sat in front of it. She took a couple deep breaths and pulled out her phone.

**Hey... Do you have a minute to Skype?**

**Please?**

Sam's reply came almost instantly.

**-Yeah. Gimme a sec.**

Mercedes tapped her fingers on her thigh as she waited for Sam to log on. A couple minutes later, a window popped up. When Mercedes clicked "Accept" she was greeted with an image of Sam, hair slightly tousled and wearing his signature fitted shirt, this time in black. He gave her a soft lopsided smile. Mercedes let out a deep sigh. _He doesn't hate me._

"Hey, I'm not interrupting anything am I? I don't know how long this will take cuz we have a lot to talk about."

"Understatement." Sam replied, "I'm down for however long it takes."

"Okay, well do you mind if I start? I have a lot to say."

"Go for it."

"Okay..." Mercedes paused to figure out where to begin. Sam waited patiently.

"Well, first I need to say I'm sorry about yesterday. I wanted to text you after you sent that message which was so sweet but I had to go on stage. And then once I was done I chickened out and needed some liquid courage. I really didn't think when I called you at three in the morning acting like a hot mess." Mercedes looked down briefly, embarrassed, took a breath and returned her gaze to the screen.

Sam nodded once but remained silent.

"And as for waiting a week to call, I'm really sorry about that. At first I was mad and hurt because I thought you had rejected me, but I spoke to Tina and my mom and they tried to make me see sense. I understand that you were doing what you needed to do to keep yourself on track. I mean, I was one of the main ones telling you to focus on yourself! It was selfish to expect you to do anything else."

Mercedes tried to read Sam's face and saw that he was still with her, focusing on every word she said.

"I can really only blame my pride and selfishness for everything I put you through. And I'm grateful to God for every moment where you showed so much patience with me. I honestly think you are as perfect as a man can be and I don't deserve you. I hope you can forgive me eventually."

Mercedes fell silent.

"You finished?" Sam asked.

"I think so. At least for now."

"Well first off, I forgive you."

"Just like that!? I was terrible to you!"

"And that's the beauty of forgiveness." Sam flashed his crooked smile and then returned to a serious expression and continued, "But I do want you to know that you hurt me. We have always gone through so much in our relationship; life has thrown us a few curve balls but I really didn't see this coming. I was in Lima missing you but working my ass off to be good enough for you and for myself and I felt like you were throwing that in my face."

Mercedes looked appropriately guilty.

"I know it's never been like you to initiate a kiss in that way before and I'm proud that you did. My dad told me that if anything I should see it as a compliment that you saw us- _me-_ as ready to start our relationship again. But not giving me a chance to explain my hesitation also prevented us from discussing if we should pick up where we left off or not."

Mercedes hadn't really thought about that. The sooner she let Sam explain what was going on in his head, the sooner she could have told him that he was everything she needed. She could have told him why she felt that they were ready, despite his fears. But it seemed like that conversation was out of the question now.

"I need to be honest with you, MJ. This whole drama of the past week shows me that as much as we miss each other, we're still not ready. Sorry."

"You shouldn't be sorry. It's my fault," Mercedes replied softly. A downcast expression was spread over her face.

The pair sat in silence, looking at each other but avoiding true eye contact.

"MJ, can ask you something and you promise to answer honestly?"

"Of course! Anything!" Mercedes replied immediately.

"Do you believe that I love you?"

Mercedes's eyes glared at the man on her screen. "What kind of question is that?"

Sam combed a hand through his hair frustratedly. "Judging by everything that's happened lately, it's a very valid question. _Do you believe that I love you?_"

Mercedes pulled Sam's hoodie tighter around her as if it could simulate the hugs she was missing. _Is this a trick question?_

"Yes...?"

"Is that a question or an answer?" Sam was frustrated but he was prepared to take as necessary to get through to her.

"Yes, Sam," Mercedes spoke in a firmer tone than before. "You love me."

Sam smiled softly. "How do you know?"

Mercedes raised an eyebrow at the blond, "How? I dunno... You _tell_ me, for one. And you wouldn't be here forgiving me and talking this all out with me if you didn't love me."

_Thank God! I think she might actually be getting it!_ "All true. Now for the next question: _why_ do I love you?"

Mercedes fell silent again. _Why? What does he mean? _She voiced her confusion, "I don't understand."

Sam took on a sad and disappointed countenance. "Mercy, can you name some reasons why I love you?"

Mercedes kept her eyes trained on the sleeve of the hoodie and picked at a loose thread. An uncomfortable feeling was rising in her chest. It seemed to be squeezing her insides and stirred up something in her throat. When she spoke her voice wavered.

"What? Why? This is stupid, Sam."

"Just do it, Mercedes!"

_Is he serious!?_ Mercedes sighed, "I dunno... I'm nice, I guess..."

Sam was about to lose it. "Nice!? You think I'm in love with you because you're _nice_!?"

Mercedes kept her focus on the sleeve's unraveling thread. This was not the direction she anticipated this conversation going in and Sam's questions were making her uncomfortable. She stayed silent and Sam spoke again, this time his voice was soft and sad.

"Mercy, I love you for much more than that. Yes, you're nice but you're also smart, kind, beautiful, caring, bold, sexy, and sassy. You're passionate and always ready to defend the people you care about. Other people love you for who you are and I'm in love with you for that and so much more."

Mercedes's face heated up with a blush and her feeling of discomfort persisted. It was then that she noticed wet spots appearing on sleeve of the purple hoodie, darkening the hue in little circles. She became aware of the tears tracking down her cheeks; she had no idea when they started to fall.

"Mercedes, look at me," Sam requested. When she lifted her head to her laptop screen she noticed the pain on Sam's face and his eyes sporting their own watery glaze.

"It makes me concerned that you can't say these things about yourself. I know that you know you're talented and I've witnessed your diva moments when you proclaim yourself to be 'the hotness' and 'the next Beyonce,' but I'm worried that it's all a front. Even if you believe that you're amazing deep down, you need to be able to believe it enough that you can say it out loud and really mean it."

Mercedes sniffled and stayed silent while Sam powered on. "We both know that I've had my own insecurities, but I also know my strengths. I'll never be a great reader and I'm not really a fan of school, but I know that if I don't get into college I can go to community college and try again if I want. I don't have to stop learning and God will provide what I need. I'm not Picasso, but I enjoy drawing and I know I'm pretty good; people tell me and I can see it.

"I may not be the funniest guy around but I like my impressions and I make the people I care about laugh. I have friends who love me and I love them in return. I own my trouty mouth, but I also own the rest of my body that paid the bills at one point but is also mine to cover and treasure and share with the one I love. Maybe I'm not the best dancer, but I've found the Windy City to be quite effective."

Sam smirked here and Mercedes found herself letting out a watery chuckle.

Sam continued, "My point is, you need to know your value. If you can't value yourself, how can you ever believe that _I_ value _you_? And if you can't believe that, we won't work out. You've already said that you don't deserve me, and if you continue to think that way, how will you ever trust that I won't turn around and leave you at any given moment?"

The pair sat in silence for a moment with matching tears on their faces.

"Mercy, do you understand where I'm coming from?"

Mercedes responded with a nod and more sniffles.

"So, it's pretty much common knowledge that I feel a lot and sometimes let that control my actions instead of thinking things through. You challenged me to think and plan for myself and my own success and that's what I've been trying to do. I'm grateful for it too because I'm way more satisfied with my life and I'm feeling pretty good about my future. I know we typically end conversations with me promising you something, but this time can we do this the other way around?"

She nodded again.

"Okay... I need you to promise me that you will start trusting your feelings. I know you tried when we were at your house, but if you felt confident in your feelings, I think you would have been more willing to talk out what happened and explain your side instead of waiting a week and having me pester you. Promise me that you'll try to get to know your worth. I don't want you to depend on me to validate who you are."

Mercedes finally spoke up. "Those are big promises, Sam."

"And I believe that you will manage it. Maybe you should do those- what do they call it when you say good things about yourself when you look in the mirror?"

"Affirmations?"

"Yeah, affirmations! I want you to be able to get up in the morning and be able to say, 'I'm Mercedes Jones and I'm more than a diva; I'm smart, kind, beautiful, talented, and I deserve to be loved!"

Mercedes smiled at Sam's enthusiasm. "Okay, I promise."

Sam fist pumped, pulling a genuine laugh out of Mercedes.

"Sammy, you're too good to me."

"No, you _deserve _everything good. That's the point."

Mercedes nodded once, trying to solidify his point in her brain. The teens smiled at each other with love in their eyes and tear-streaked cheeks. Everything wasn't solved, but once again they were on their way.

**_There you go! I hope you guys liked it... Kinda emotional at the end, not exactly how I planned it, but everyone has their baggage and it was Mercedes's turn to check her's. I can now say with absolute certainty that things will be going up from here! PLEASE review with thoughts, comments, suggestions, etc. I've got ideas floating around but I'm always open since it takes me a while to get the chapters done. Thanks again for reading! Samcedes Forever!_**


	15. Chapter 15

**_Hey guys! Thanks a million to all of you who reviewed, followed, favorited, and read! This chapter took way longer than I anticipated, but it's longer than I expected too! Since you guys were so positive about Rhesa and Damon (and I needed them for the plot) they are back in this chapter. The return of Samcedes is on its way!_**

**_Chapter 15_**

After disconnecting with Sam, Mercedes sat in silence, reflecting on their conversation. It had gone way better than she had expected. She knew tears would probably fall, but she never thought that it would be because of intimate, heartfelt encouragement and not heartbreak. Mercedes was once again in awe of Sam and his genuine goodness and love.

Though it was hard to admit even to herself, she knew Sam had a point. Mercedes wasn't necessarily a victim of self-hatred, but she still had a way to go in recognizing her worth. She hadn't realized how far-reaching her insecurities were. Without realizing it, they had formed doubts that worked their way into the fabric of her being, subconsciously affecting her thoughts and actions. On an intellectual level she knew herself; she had seen what she was capable of. However— and she didn't know if she could _or should_ place blame on anyone specific— somewhere along the way she stopped internally recognizing what she should have known to be true.

There in her living room she whispered a prayer to God thanking Him for Sam and her other friends and family. She asked for forgiveness for doubting her qualities, part of His creation. As she huddled on her couch she asked God for the strength to learn how to truly love herself so that she could love others fully.

Mercedes sighed deeply and went over to the kitchen to heat her teapot. All these emotions were quite tiring and all she wanted now was to drink a big mug of ginger tea and watch a movie. As she waited for the water to boil, Mercedes sifted through her movie collection. She smiled to herself as she started the film. The kettle began to whistle so Mercedes went back to the kitchen, and as she poured the water, she heard a knock on the door.

Mercedes approached the door and stood on her toes, stretching to see through the peephole. _Stupid door, I really need to get a step-stool._ Before she could make out the figure of the person on the other side of the door, she heard Puck's voice.

"Mama, quit your crying and open the door! My hands are full so I can't use my key."

Mercedes rolled her eyes and opened the door to come face to face with Puck, who was holding a box of pizza and a six-pack of beer. She smiled fondly at him and stood to the side so he could enter.

After placing his load on the coffee table, Puck surveyed the apartment and studied Mercedes's face.

"No tears... watching _Avatar_... I'm guessing everything went well with Trouty?"

Mercedes rolled her eyes again.

"Yes, it did. Get some plates and napkins, please. It took ages to get the grease out of the carpet last time."

As Puck followed her direction he sighed, "That wasn't my fault; you bumped into me with all your flinching. Don't watch horror movies if you're gonna be a pussy."

Puck returned with the dishes and while Mercedes served their plates. He pulled out his bottle opener keychain and opened two of the beers, placing one in front of Mercedes. She barely glanced at the drink and slid it closer to Puck.

"I don't drink beer." She sipped her tea to punctuate her point.

"If you were a badass you would."

"Noah, I had a hangover _this morning_. I'm good."

"Whatever."

The friends sat in silence, watching the movie and devouring their pizza. Puck had finished his beer and was working on Mercedes's when he finally spoke.

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to be the girl in this situation, but I didn't really come over for pizza. I guess I'll just ask: how are you feeling?"

Mercedes giggled, "I was wondering when you'd ask. I'm actually okay... or at least I will be."

"So are you and Trouty back together?"

"I wish you guys would stop using that nickname. No, we're not back together but we're on good terms. Sam forgave me and said I'm not ready for a relationship. Basically, I can't love him 'til I love myself."

"Good advice. Us guys can't win if we're always dealing with girls' stupid insecurities. No daddy issues, right? I'm pretty sure Doc Jones took care of that."

Mercedes laughed heartily, "No! Just your basic self-esteem stuff. Sam loves me more than I love me."

"Why? Mama, you're awesome and almost as badass as I am."

"Thanks, Noah. And I know it, but sometimes I don't feel it. I don't truly _believe_ it, you know?"

"I think I do... I mean, part of the reason I moved to LA is to avoid becoming a 'Lima Loser.' But when it comes down to it, you just gotta say, 'fuck the haters.'"

"That's right! But it's not just about other people; it's about how I see myself. I'll get there, but it will take some time." She flashed a soft smile.

"I hope it happens soon. I don't like seeing you so sad. And my boy needs his woman by his side. Now enough of this mushy stuff, I'm in serious danger of growing a vagina."

Mercedes laughed and squeezed Puck tightly, "Awww, you're so sweet, Pucky!"

Puck tried to wriggle out of her grasp while Mercedes used one hand to pinch his cheeks, all the while laughing at his frustration. He eventually gave up and wound up reclining on the couch under Mercedes. He reached for another beer and somehow managed to open and sip it from his awkward position. They turned their attention back to the television.

"You know, this is basically just _Pocahontas_."

"Yeah, but _Pocahontas_ didn't have fine-ass Sam Worthington in it."

"So your type is white guys named Sam?"

"Shut up."

The next day Mercedes woke up slowly, gradually realizing that she was still on her couch. She scanned the room while she lay there and noticed the DVD player was turned off and the coffee table was cleared. Mercedes slowly got up from the couch and stretched, grimacing when she heard her joints pop. _That couch isn't as comfortable as it looks_.

She padded her way into the kitchen and smiled at the clean dishes in the drying rack. _Puck really outdid himself; he's way more responsible than people give him credit for_. Mercedes spotted the empty pizza box folded up in the trash. _Did he really eat the rest of the pizza!?_ She went into the refrigerator for the water pitcher and noticed one slice of pizza in a Ziploc bag and smiled. _Thanks, Puck_. Mercedes rolled her eyes when she noticed two remaining beers that were also in the fridge and moved them over to join the other beers Puck had left from past hangouts at her place.

Leaning against the kitchen counter, Mercedes drank her water and ate the slice of cold pizza. Her mind wandered through nonspecific topics, and she vaguely noticed that she was in a good mood, nothing too thrilling, just pleasant. Yesterday had been a day fraught with emotions, but right now, in that moment, she was doing okay.

Finishing off her pseudo meal, she looked at the clock on the stove.

"9:47. I need to get ready," Mercedes mumbled to herself. She had to be in to the studio that afternoon and she liked leave early due to LA's infamous traffic.

Mercedes started going through her morning routine, lightly humming her favorite track she was working on in her head. As she stepped out the shower she wiped the fog off the mirror and looked at her reflection wrapped in a towel and wearing a shower cap. Her reflection stared back, somehow making her nervous. _I'm supposed to do my affirmations... Where do I start? Ugh, this is so weird; I'll do them later_.

She headed into her bedroom and turned on some music, trying to shake off the awkwardness she was feeling. Mercedes dressed with care, making sure to be comfortable yet stylish. She put on light makeup and stood back to check herself in the mirror. Black skinny jeans and a black scoop neck knit top helped show off her shape. She had colorful and pristine Nike's on her feet and a bandana wrapped around her short cut and knotted in front— hot pink to avoid gang color confusion. _Something's missing_. She dug around her jewelry box. _Found it!_ Mercedes put on her necklace that had once read 'sexy' but had since removed the -XY to now read S.E. She looked into the mirror again and smiled. _Okay, take two... _Mercedes took a deep breath, cleared her throat, and spoke to the empty room:

"My name is Mercedes Jones and I am talented, beautiful and wonderful." Her voice started to waver but she continued, "I am blessed, loving and loved because I deserve it."

She smiled weakly in the mirror and carefully wiped her watering eyes, making sure not to smudge her makeup. She sighed, "Good enough for the first day."

As she gathered her things and headed down to her car, she quickly sent a text to Sam.

**Just wanted to let you know I did my affirmations today. Kinda awkward, but I did it! On my way to the studio for a really long day, but maybe we can talk tomorrow?**

She stuck the key into the ignition and sped off to work.

Back in Kentucky, Sam received her text and smiled. He replied:

**— Sure! I'll be waiting. I'm proud of you.**

As soon as Sam pressed send, he received an incoming call. Reading the screen, Sam's face broke into a wide smile and he answered immediately.

"Hey Puck! What's up, man? It's been a while!"

"Hey, Evans," Puck replied, "how's the fam?"

"Everyone's good. So what's going on?"

"Not much, you know, just working mostly and making time for the ladies of course. I was actually calling to check on _you_."

"Me?"

"Yeah, dude. When Mercedes and I moved out here I promised to keep an eye out for her and I have. But I can tell something happened between you two and I just wanted to know if everything is alright now."

"Oh..." Sam was starting to get tired of talking about the drama he and Mercedes went through. He put on an overly chipper voice, "Everything's good."

"Why are you bullshitting me? I'm your friend, dude!"

"Well, what did Mercedes say?" Sam didn't want to go any further into it than Mercedes wanted, and he wasn't about to offend her just after making up.

"A couple days ago she would only say that she overreacted about something, and then last night she said that you guys were okay but she needed to learn how to 'love herself' before you get back together."

Sam was surprised, "Wow, she told you all that?"

"Don't act so shocked," Puck scoffed. "Mama and I are close now."

"Not too close," Sam replied with a threatening tone.

"Calm your shit, Trouty. I'm not trying to scoop your girl. Though if she was interested—"

"Don't even go there!"

"I'm just saying she's always been amazing, and recently she's been gettin' right and tight."

"Puck!"

"Kidding! So, is everything really cool? What were you fighting about anyway?"

"We're trying to put it behind us, but long story short, she made a move and I told her I wasn't ready and... yeah."

Puck sucked his teeth and sighed, "I _told_ her not to rush things."

Now Sam was floored. "_You_ gave Mercedes relationship advice?"

"Ya damn right I did! Good advice too, though apparently she ignored it."

"Wow... well, for what it's worth, thanks for your support." Sam really was grateful. Between their families, Blaine, Tina, and apparently now Puck, he and Mercedes seemed to have their own cheering section.

"No worries, bro. The Puckasaurus always has your back. Anyway, enough girl-talk, I'm trying to set up the next glee guys' Halo tournament."

"Sweet! I'm going back to Lima on Saturday and classes start Monday so Sunday afternoon or something would be good. Last hurrah before my last semester."

The young men continued their conversation, making further plans and catching up with everything that had been going on with them and their friends.

Meanwhile, Mercedes was finally pulling into the lot at OceanView Records. She quickly made it past security and into the control room where her coworkers were hanging out before work started.

"Hey, guys!"

"Hey, Divette!" they chorused back.

Rhesa looked Mercedes over. "Cute outfit."

"Thanks," Mercedes took a seat on the couch between Rhesa and Damon, who was perched on the arm.

The door opened to admit Thomas, assistant to Day'jon Rodriguez, the studio's head producer. He was tall, thin, and sinewy with a smooth brown complexion. Thomas wore oversized glasses and dressed in a neat and casual style. He was a college student in his junior year at UCLA and had started his internship at OceanView only a few months before Mercedes was hired.

"Hello, Mr. Rodriguez. I, um, I've got your coffee—" he selected a venti-sized Starbucks cup out of the cardboard tray, which was snatched up with a grunt by the hulking half Black/half Mexican man working steadily at the controls.

"Yeah, Um..." Thomas muttered haltingly while visually panning across the room 'til he spotted Mercedes.

"Hey, Mercedes!" Thomas's mood brightened considerably. "Good to see you! I didn't get a chance to see you at the party— well, except when you were on stage of course. You were great!"

"Thanks," Mercedes smiled back.

"I got your order too. Mocha latte, shot of espresso, no whip." Thomas held out the large cup to Mercedes while thrusting the tray with the remaining two drinks towards Damon as an afterthought.

Damon grabbed the tray just in time to avoid being spilled with the scalding liquid.

"Rude," he grumbled.

Mercedes cut her eyes toward Damon and tried to suppress her laughter. Rhesa made considerably less effort.

"Thanks," Mercedes said again.

"No problem! Be careful though, I asked them to make it extra hot because I didn't know when you'd come in—"

"Timothy, don't you have something else to take care of?" Day'jon cut him off.

"Oh! Of course," Thomas replied and rushed off with a last, "Bye, Mercedes!"

After the door closed, Rhesa erupted in snickers.

"That boy has it _bad_ for you!"

"Girl, stop it! He's just being nice."

"That's not nice, that's sprung," Day'jon spoke up from his seat. "Now enough with the chatting, we got a lot of tracks to finish off. Rhesa, you're up first so get your ass in that booth."

The trio worked with the producer for hours and even worked through lunch until he was certain that all the background vocals sounded perfect. As soon as they were done, the friends said a quick goodbye to Day'jon and Thomas before heading out to eat.

Only minutes after placing their order, Rhesa let out an exaggerated whine.

"I'm starved! You'd think the service would be faster, it's not like they have to cook anything."

Her tablemates laughed. Mercedes still couldn't believe that she was eating sushi. Back home she never thought she'd ever eat anything raw, but sushi was a staple in California, and she found herself settling into west coast culture easier than she'd ever expected.

The trio carried on light conversation and soon by the time their food was served the discussion had gotten lively.

"—all I'm saying is it's kinda mean to let the poor boy go around thinking his boss doesn't even know his name!" Mercedes waved her chopsticks for emphasis.

"Calm down, Divette," Rhesa replied. "He's just playing around. When it comes down to it, he's actually teaching him real production techniques. I've heard some of Thomas's stuff; he's actually quite good."

"Whatever. All I know is he's awkward as all hell, but you can't deny that he's cute. I'd give anything for that height." Damon was of an average build, with dark skin and came in just a few inches under six feet.

"Aww, Damon! You know we love you just the way you are," Rhesa cooed.

"I know! Who am I kidding? I'm pretty damn fabulous. I may actually be perfect." Damon brushed invisible lint off his shoulder and popped a piece of a tuna roll into his mouth.

Rhesa giggled at his antics while Mercedes looked at him with something akin to awe.

"I wish I could be that confident all the time," she said.

Rhesa looked at her with a quirked eyebrow. "What do you mean, Divette? You're our fabulous little diva!"

"Yeah, just ask that goofy mothafucka Thomas," Damon quipped.

Mercedes couldn't suppress a chuckle. "I know. It's just that when I talked with Sam, he pointed out that sometimes I don't give myself enough credit, and he's right."

"Sounds like a wise man. We all get down on ourselves sometimes but I'm sure you'll be fine," said Rhesa. "You're surviving LA so you can do anything."

Mercedes smiled from her new friends' encouragement and then Rhesa spoke again.

"Now my real question is, are you back together?"

"Nope, he said that I needed to be sure I loved myself first, but he's ready when I am."

"Well I would say Mr. Perfect is quite the motivator. So when you to inevitably get back together, will he be leaving the farmland to join you out here?"

"Girl, for the last time, I did _not_ live on a farm!" Mercedes took a sip of water to clear the wasabi tingling the back of her throat. "I'm not sure what will happen. He's applying all over, but he doesn't know what he wants to study."

"Does 'all over' include LA?" the light-skinned woman probed.

"Yeah. Not UCLA or anything; he hasn't got the best grades. But I know he was looking into the CalState system. I'm kinda concerned about what would happen if he doesn't get in. I want him to go wherever he will thrive, but he told me once that the other places are really just for his folks. He wants to be out here with me, even if he's doing community college or something."

"That's so romantic," Damon sighed.

"That's so Sam," Mercedes corrected him. "I just want to be sure that if he winds up moving out to California, he won't regret it."

"Well then, Divette," Rhesa stated firmly, "you need to do all you can to make sure your man has no regrets."

**_Hope you guys liked it! I gotta say I love writing Puck, especially Puckcedes friendship... hopefully you will see a clear progression in the Samcedes relationship from here on out. I've already got some ideas coming for the next chapter._**

**_Thanks for reading and PLEASE let me know what you thought!_**


	16. Chapter 16

**_So I have to admit that I put this story away for a little while and fell into a Blam fic spiral (after Samcedes, Blam and Puckcedes are my next fave Glee ships). So I did a google search for Samcedes fics to get my inspiration flowing and saw that someone put "Backlash" on the Best of Samcedes list for ff.n! I got so hyped that I went back to work on this chapter. THANK YOU to whoever recommended me and to all you readers, reviewers, followers, and favoriters. I honestly would have stopped after chapter 1. And fellow authors, thanks for writing cuz your work always motivates me. If you haven't already, check out the list cuz there's some great work on it. Anyway, on with the story!_**

**_Keep forgetting to add it, but the standard disclaimer applies..._**

**_Chapter 16_**

Mercedes had the next day off and spent it getting ready for the beginning of the spring semester coming that Monday. She resumed her habit of working out in the morning. Arriving at her local gym, Mercedes drove around the parking lot for ages before finding a spot. When she got inside, the gym was equally packed. She raised an eyebrow at the girl working at the front desk.

"I know, right? New Year's resolutions are great for business."

Mercedes chuckled and made her way to her locker and got everything situated. She was lucky enough to find a stationary bike. Typically, she would listen to music while catching up on her tabloid reading, but today she was online on her tablet checking her student account for UCLA. Her fall semester grades had been posted and she was pleased with the results. In her first semester of college she earned a 3.8 GPA, and the good news boosted her mood. She made a mental note to call her dad. Mercedes always felt the need to prove her success and reassure her father that going to California wasn't a waste.

As she continued to pedal, Mercedes searched for places to buy cheap books for her next semester. But soon, like most people on the internet, she found herself sucked into the web and making various searches and reading several Wiki pages. She mostly found herself on friends' Facebook pages, who were announcing the completion of applications and early college acceptance. She also looked at attractions for her area and local landmarks; Mercedes was determined to learn everything about her new city and know it as well as she knew Lima.

Soon the cycling program ended and Mercedes hopped off the bike and wiped it down for the next person. She went back to her locker to stow her tablet and drank some water before doing a round on the weight machines. Through spending time with Sam, Mercedes developed her own workout routine. Sam enjoyed imparting his fitness knowledge on his girlfriend, and exercising together not only gave them more reasons to hang out with each other, but it also served as a therapy of sorts. Both Sam and Mercedes had experienced a certain amount of self consciousness when it came to their bodies. However, when they exercised together they were able to reinforce positive attitudes about themselves and their bodies, focusing on health rather than appearance.

Mercedes smiled as she remembered the encouragement Sam would whisper in her ear while she did crunches on the floor of the Jones's den. She couldn't suppress the blush that passed through her when she recalled the time when her parents were away and the whispers led to kisses which led to another workout of an intimate sort. Mercedes took those fond memories with her along with an exercise high as she exited the gym and hopped into her car. She rolled her windows down and blasted the radio as she sped home. She was sweaty and anticipated being sore later, but nothing could ruin her mood.

When she got home, Mercedes headed straight to the shower. She sang to herself as she removed the sweat and grime from her body. Once she was finished, she wrapped herself in a towel and looked at herself in the mirror. Mercedes remembered how awkward and difficult it was to say her affirmations the day before, and she still felt a little strange talking to her reflection, but she understood the importance of speaking the words out loud.

"My name is Mercedes Jones and I am beautiful, talented, smart, and loved. And I'm doing my best every day."

She flashed herself a smile and finished getting dressed. Later, as she was putting together a quick lunch, Mercedes received a phone call. With a quick glance she saw Tina's name on the display. She tapped 'Answer' and put it on speakerphone.

"Hey, T! How you doing, girl?"

"Terribly!"

Mercedes turned to give the phone her full attention as if she could see Tina through it. "What happened? Is everything okay?"

"No! Apparently I have a best friend who likes to leave town during drama and not update anyone for ages about what's happening."

"Don't exaggerate. One day you're gonna give someone a heart attack. Or yourself. And we _have _talked since I left Lima."

"We've _texted_ and you always changed the subject from the Sam situation so that hardly counts. As your best friend I'm offended that I'm always hearing things second hand from Blaine."

Mercedes just laughed. "You guys are becoming the new Unholy Trinity. Two thirds of you are already Cheerios!"

"Cute." Mercedes could practically hear Tina rolling her eyes. "Now I need the details. Blaine takes being Sam's bro seriously so it's virtually impossible to get anything out of him."

Mercedes was pleased to hear that Sam had such a loyal friend with him in Lima. She was concerned that after Mike and Puck graduated, he wouldn't have a satisfying social life.

Mercedes recounted all the events from the day after Sam left all the way through their New Year's Day conversation. She didn't realize how much she needed to express the details of what happened and her perspective. Puck had no patience for details- and Mercedes didn't expect him to- and Rhesa and Damon didn't know Sam and were therefore unable to fully appreciate the saga. Tina, however, followed along perfectly like every best friend should. She reacted in all the right ways and in all the right places; she asked good questions and validated Mercedes' feelings.

"Wow! That's a lot to hold onto."

"Yeah, I'm sorry I didn't talk to you sooner."

"Well, it's all gonna go up from here. At least both of you know that you definitely want to get back together. And maybe this time you won't be in such a rush. You two know each other better than you know yourselves."

Mercedes chuckled at her accurate assessment, "It definitely seems that way."

"Well Sam did a good job taking your direction. Do you think you can do the same?"

"Definitely. He's right and since he's said it I've realized that while I'm not crying in a dark corner, I wasn't really appreciating and acknowledging myself. I still have to remind myself sometimes, but I'm getting better and feeling positive about it."

"That's great! I'm really proud of you, 'Cedes."

"Thanks, girl. Now tell me: how did you send Mike off to Chicago?"

The girls gabbed on for a while, and by the time they hung up, Mercedes had finished lunch and put her dishes away. She was grateful that she had the day to herself and was eager to talk to Sam as she promised the day before. After a brief series of texts and a once-over in the mirror, Mercedes was seated at her computer and logging on to Skype. The familiar sight of Sam's signature lopsided grin greeted her. His hair was messy as always and he showed off his muscular physique in a dark green fitted henley.

"You look good," Sam said as a greeting.

"Thanks," Mercedes responded with a shy smile.

"Thank you for taking the compliment," Sam countered. "Confidence is sexy."

_You're sexy,_ Mercedes thought, but as she looked at his amused expression and light blush, she realized that she spoke aloud.

"I mean, your shirt! It's nice! It, um, brings out your eyes!" Mercedes scrambled to cover her embarrassment.

"Sure…" Sam laughed.

"Whatever, just take your damn compliment," Mercedes grumbled.

Sam tried to reign in his laughter but was failing miserably.

"Anyway," Mercedes started, trying to gain control of the situation, "I was hoping we could catch up. We haven't really been able to just talk."

"I'd like that. I meant to ask you how your New Year's show went."

"Well it wasn't really _my_ show, but it was great! I can't even describe what it's like to perform like that. I mean, my part as back up is the same or less than what I would do in the New Directions, but people are actually paying me and giving great feedback. I feel so appreciated and it's so much fun." Mercedes was grinning thinking about the highlight of the New Year's party and the support she had gotten from attendees and coworkers.

Sam was happy to see her spark had returned. After all the drama and struggles they had gone through, he really missed seeing her shine.

"I wish I could have been there. I miss hearing you sing."

Mercedes smiled wistfully. "Yeah, that would have been nice. It might at least be online."

They shared a thoughtful look, silently acknowledging that it wouldn't be nearly the same as being in the same room again. Mercedes changed the subject to something less melancholy.

"So what have you been doing? How's the Evans clan?"

"Good! I didn't realize how much I missed them, even the little monsters. We've mostly been hanging out at the house together, but we did do a little volunteer work at the local shelter. It's really nice to see people go and help on Christmas or Christmas Eve, but in the days after it goes back to the same, so that's when we go."

"I'm so proud of you. I really need to do more giving back. Maybe you should study social work in college?" Mercedes suggested.

She was concerned that Sam was reluctant to bring up college in any of the conversations they had in the past couple of months. He was sure that he would apply, but he showed no interest in studying anything in particular. Sam just shrugged in response.

"Well, it's really my parents. Sometimes I just want to put it all behind me and pretend it didn't happen, but as much as my parents want us to move on, they want us to treat it like a lesson. Really helped with my essays, though."

"I'm sure it did. So have you finished everything? Scholarships and applications?"

"Yup. Mom had me do all the scholarship stuff right away. It was hell writing all those essays, but if I get any money it will be worth it. It's not like I'm going to get a sports scholarship, and I don't really have any interest in continuing football, swimming, or baseball. I mean, it's fun, but I think college level sports are a lot intense."

Mercedes nodded in understanding. Her brother used to play football for Ohio State University and quit after his second season because it stopped being fun. Shane, on the other hand, loved it, if his Facebook posts were anything to go by. It really depended on the person, and Mercedes had to agree with Sam's ruling. While he was talented and driven, he didn't find joy in ruthless competition.

"Maybe you could study phys. ed or sports medicine."

Sam just gave a one-shouldered shrug.

Mercedes continued, "You could become a physical therapist or personal trainer. I still use a lot of the things you showed me. I was at they gym today."

"I'm pretty sure the way I taught you would be frowned upon in a professional setting," Sam responded with a cheeky grin. "And if you're using those techniques at your gym they might take away your membership. Or maybe they'll let you in for free!"

By this time Sam was dissolving into giggles and dragging Mercedes along with him.

"Sammy! I'm trying to be serious!" Mercedes struggled to keep a straight face. "You haven't said much about what you're doing next year. I mean, I don't even know where exactly you're applying!"

Sam sighed and conceded to Mercedes' complaint. "I applied to Ohio State—"

"You mean, _The_ Ohio State University," Mercedes interrupted mocking the loyal alumni of the school.

"—and the University of Tennessee in Knoxville; my folks went there. I also applied to University of Kentucky, University of Louisville—"

"That's where Santana goes!"

"Yeah, I guess so." Sam didn't sound half as excited to go to school with Santana again. "And last but definitely not least, CalState LA."

"CSULA's really close to UCLA," Mercedes noted with a smile.

"I know. That's why I picked it." Sam winked.

"Well, you know the UCs and the CSUs have a bit of a rivalry, but I'm still wishing you good luck," she teased.

"I was thinking if I got in I could live with Puck. _Or_ I could live with you and tell our parents I'm living with Puck."

"Slow down, Sammy. We're not even back together yet."

Sam gave her a pointed look. "You and I both know it's only a matter of time."

The intensity in his gaze made Mercedes' whole body flush. She silently willed herself to sort herself out even sooner because she couldn't bear not being with Sam any longer. Mercedes chose not to respond to Sam's accurate statement.

"I don't want to nag, Sammy, but you should really start thinking about what you're interested in. Being undeclared is okay but— what about art? You're an amazing artist!—"

"Mercy, can we please stop talking about college?" Sam frustratedly combed his hands through his hair.

"Yeah... Sure," Mercedes replied. She only had the best intentions, but she could see how tired he was of the subject. "Just know I'll be praying for your results."

"Thanks, that means a lot. And my dad has been constantly reminding me not to freak out and have faith that it will all work out." Sam didn't mention that the 'it' Dwight spoke of included more than his academic future.

"Amen! Papa Dwight is a wise man. I miss your family."

"Do you want to talk to them? The monsters are probably up to no good, Mom's in the kitchen, and Dad just got home a little while ago."

"I don't know, I don't want to bother them if they're busy."

"You could never bother them! They were saying the other day how much they miss you. Just gimme a second."

Before Mercedes could argue, Sam stood and jogged out the room. While she waited for Sam to return with his family, Mercedes checked her appearance in the small image of herself in the corner of the computer screen. She wasn't sure why she was so anxious; the Evans family had been nothing but welcoming in the past. Even when they were in a cramped motel room Mary and Dwight Evans were friendly, despite their frayed nerves. The whole family expressed their regret when they left Lima, especially Stacey. Mercedes loved spending time with Stacey and Stevie; they were like the younger siblings she had pestered her parents for as a child. And even though Sam called them monsters and was annoyed that he spent much of his free time looking after them, it was clear that he loved them fiercely. And though she didn't want to admit it, she, like Sam, would sometimes consider their hours of babysitting as practice for their future children.

Mercedes was pulled from her thoughts by shouts of her name coming through her computer speakers. Stacey and Stevie bounded into Sam's room.

"Stevie! Stacey! Calm down before you break something." Mary Evans entered the room with her husband and her oldest son following behind her. She took a seat in Sam's desk chair and corralled the children; Stacey climbed into her lap and Stevie settled into her side.

"Hello, Mercedes! How are you doing? You look great!"

"Thanks, Mrs. Evans. I'm doing well."

"Aww, honey, you know better!"

Mercedes laughed, "Sorry. Hi, Momma M. And hey, Papa Dwight!" She waved to Dwight who was leaning against the doorframe with Sam.

"Hello, Miss Mercy," he called back with a smile. "How's California treating you?"

"Everything's good! I like UCLA, my job is great. It's a little colder here than I anticipated, everyone always says they don't have seasons in southern California, but it feels like winter to me!"

"I'm sure it's still beautiful though," said Mary. "We've still got some snow hanging around over here."

"Yeah, I don't miss that. So, is everything going well in Kentucky? I feel like we haven't talked in ages."

"That's because we haven't! Everything is good here; it's become home and we're going on two years now. We do miss you though, especially this one." She pointed to Stacey who was alternating between paying attention and antagonizing Stevie from her perch on Mary's lap. "Maybe we can visit one day. You know, Sam applied to CalState LA."

"I heard," Mercedes said with a smile, briefly flicking her eyes to meet Sam's. He was silently looking on at the scene.

"Well, it was great talking to you but I need to finish cooking, but I'm sure these two have a lot to say." Mary stood up from the chair, leaving her two youngest to jockey for space in the seat.

"Glad to see you're doing well, Mercedes. Hope we hear from you more regularly in the future," Dwight spoke up.

Mercedes smiled sheepishly, "Yes, Papa Dwight."

He nodded and exited the room behind Mary. Sam made to approach the computer again, but was stopped by a push to the abdomen.

"Stacey, get off!"

"No! This is _our_ time with 'Cedes! You can wait outside."

Sam raised an eyebrow at his sister. "This is _my_ room and _my_ computer."

"C'mon, Sammy!" Stevie spoke up. We haven't talked to 'Cedes in _forever_ and whenever you're around you always hog her!"

Mercedes burst into laughter at Stacey and Stevie's antics. "Yeah, Sammy! Lemme talk to my favorites in private!"

Sam glared at Mercedes but she just grinned back.

"Fine!" Sam groaned. "But make it quick and don't touch my stuff."

Stevie and Stacey nodded emphatically, all the while pushing him towards the door. Once he was in the hallway, they shut the door firmly in his face.

"Unbelievable!" Sam muttered to himself.

"Let them have their fun."

Sam turned around to see his father waiting for him in the hall.

"Be happy that they get along," Dwight continued. "After all, you are trying to make her family one day."

"True." Sam's eyes glazed over as he imagined a future married to Mercedes, but was quickly interrupted by his father.

"Are you two making any progress?"

"Yeah, we actually are. Trying to take it slow again, we don't want to pressure each other, but we both know we'll be back together soon. We're pre-dating. Exclusively."

Dwight shook his head and chuckled to himself. "I can't help but think you're making it harder than it is, but long distance relationships are difficult by nature. And you two are clearly serious and committed, so if you agree that this is the best way to go about it, more power to you."

"Thanks. It's taken a while but we're feeling good about this. Plus, we have faith."

"Amen," Dwight replied with a proud smile.

The pair chatted for a while before Dwight looked at his watch. Upon seeing the time he called out, "Alright you two, it's dinnertime. Say goodbye to Mercedes and go wash up."

Before Dwight could open the door they ran out in a fit of giggles.

"You two had better not have touched my stuff!" Sam threatened on his way back into his room.

He glanced around his room and found everything where he left it, except a stack of papers on his desk that appeared to have been nudged when his siblings fled the room. He lifted the stack and tapped it against the desktop to straighten it out again. He sat and pouted at the webcam.

"Have fun with the monsters?"

"Of course, they're adorable."

"I have a suspicion Stevie's trying to steal you away from me."

"Well, he is a cutie," Mercedes quipped.

At that moment, Sam heard a shout from the sibling in question.

"Mom! We gotta go to the post office tomorrow! 'Cedes needs decorations!"

Sam furrowed his brow. "They're sending you something?"

"Yeah, Stacey insisted that I need some extra special pictures for my poor blank walls. I'm inclined to agree." Mercedes gestured to her modestly decorated apartment. Beyond the necessities and the things brought from home, she really only put in a modest effort in her apartment's appearance.

"Be ready for a crap-load of pictures. They had a whole showcase ready when I got home."

"I guess you're not the only talented Evans," Mercedes smirked.

Sam's response was cut off by his mom's yell from the floor below.

"Sam! Dinner!"

"Okay, I've gotta go. Talk to you later?"

"Of course."

They paused and looked at each other. In the past, this was where they would say their 'I love yous.' Although they both felt the same and wanted to say it, they knew it was best to stay silent. Instead, they grinned at each other.

"I _promise_. Go, Sam."

Sam put on a British accent, "As you wish." With a wink, he closed the connection and ran down for dinner.

**_I hope I made up for that long break! Featured a Chord quote and a Princess Bride quote. I know canon doesn't say Sam is on the baseball team, but google pics of Chord in a baseball uniform and thank me later. I'm also obsessed with henley shirts. Check out the "men in henleys" tumblr page... You're welcome. Hahaha..._**

**_Anyway... Thanks a ton for sticking with this story. Please give me some feedback, it'll help me get my act together and update more often. :)_**


	17. Chapter 17

**_Hey everyone! I'm back! HUGE THANKS to everyonethat reviewed the lat chapter. It really helps the process. Now, here goes..._**

**_(Standard disclaimer applies)_**

**_Chapter 17_**

The last few days of winter break went by quickly, and before he knew it, Sam was back at William McKinley High School. He thought that he would be disappointed to go back to school, but instead, he was rather excited. Yes, he was sad to leave his family behind yet again, but he was anxious to finish his senior year.

Sam stood in front of his open locker, rearranging his lip balm collection. Blaine approached his best friend and leaned against the neighboring locker. Sam noticed Blaine's sad expression.

"Dude, what's wrong?"

Blaine sighed, "I just don't want to be here."

"Classes haven't even started yet, bro! I don't understand; yesterday you were so pumped about teaching me your color-coded organizational system for my new Avengers planner. Thanks, by the way."

"No problem. I was going to get you the X-men one, but I think you're more Captain America than Wolverine."

"So what's really going on?" Sam pulled out the books for his morning classes, along with the aforementioned planner. He shut his locker and leaned on it, giving Blaine his full attention.

"It's just stressful. This is our last semester in high school! Everything's moving really fast."

"Well, yeah but isn't that a good thing? The sooner we're done the sooner we can move on with our lives. This has been fun and everything, but to be honest most of my friends aren't here anymore and I don't really have any doubts that I'll keep in touch with the other glee seniors."

Blaine didn't seem convinced. "Over the break I went to New York to visit Kurt."

Sam nodded deeply. "How did that go?"

"Surprisingly well. I think we've gotten some closure and we're still friends." Blaine smiled, "and I have to say, being in New York feels so right! So now I'm just worried about getting into NYADA. There are other good schools and I've applied to a lot, but NYADA would be a dream come true."

"Dude, you're super talented. Everything will be fine."

"I'm a member of an inactive glee club. I don't think there's much hope in even getting an audition."

"But we were national champs last year and that's got to count for something. And if not, we can just get Tina to help us stalk the admissions lady like she did for Rachel."

Both boys chuckled and began making their way down the hall. Sam turned to Blaine.

"You are talented and people have seen it when you lead the Warblers and when you performed with the New Directions. And they're going to see it again soon when cheer competitions begin. Coach Sue likes to add live music to her routines. Don't think about if it will be NYADA or not; just know that you've got this."

The pair headed into their first class.

"How can you manage to be so optimistic at such a stressful time?"

Sam took a seat at the front of the class, an area he was unfamiliar with.

"I kinda have to be if I want to do my best. I know it sucks for you, but I'm happy glee doesn't take up too much of my time. I changed my hours at the garage to weekends only cuz Coach Roz has been way intense about practice since we pretty much have a meet every week. I'm getting tutoring in basically all my free periods too. And it's easier to feel positive now that I know I passed last semester and didn't tank my SATs."

"Everyone knew you were going to do just fine." Blaine countered while taking claiming the seat next to his best friend.

"I wasn't sure. But I'm happy to be proven wrong." Sam arranged his notebook and rainbow of pens on his desk and noted their teacher preparing to start class. "The applications are sent and all we can do is wait, so let's be as productive as we can be while we're waiting."

Blaine looked at his friend and couldn't help but be impressed at his logical outlook. He followed Sam's lead and pulled out his books as well.

"You're right."

"I know." Sam replied with a cheeky smile.

January continued just as Sam planned. He spent school hours paying more attention to his lessons than he ever had before. He didn't necessarily like school much more than he did before, though it was easier to convince himself to go to class now that he knew what was going on. The members of glee club were impressed at the newly studious Sam but wary that his deliberate and careful behavior would eventually clash with his naturally uninhibited personality. Aware of this, Blaine and Tina often took it upon themselves to inject some fun and frivolity into Sam's life. Everyone was keen to avoid a breakdown like the one they witnessed on the last day of the fall semester.

The evening of the first Saturday of the semester found Sam washing grease and oil from his hands at an old sink in the corner of Burt's garage. Sam had spent the entire day working alongside Burt's small team of employees. Sam was the newest member and by far the youngest, but the other men had gotten used to the teen's presence. He started out the previous year only knowing how to change his oil and would often do a sloppy job of it. But Burt and his employees passed on their knowledge, some more patiently than others, and now had a respectable set of skills.

The garage was closing up for the night, and Sam and Burt were the last ones there, tidying up a bit before they locked the doors. In the silence of the evening, a car horn blared. Sam looked out the window with a puzzled expression to see where it was coming from.

"Who—?"

Before Sam could get out his inquiry, the horn sounded again, this time accompanied by shouts from two familiar voices.

"Sam! Saaaam!"

"Get your ass in this car, Sam!"

Sam blushed at his clear association to the ruckus outside. He glanced at Burt, but instead of being annoyed, he looked rather amused.

"Go on, son," he chuckled. "Enjoy your weekend."

Sam grinned and grabbed his coat. "Thanks!" he called out.

Before he could get all the way out the door, Burt called after him, "Have fun, be careful, and get home by midnight!"

Sam nodded and waved behind him all the while making a beeline to Blaine's car. Sam leaned against the driver's side and greeted his friends.

"What are you guys doing here? And could you be any louder?"

Blaine grinned up at his best friend from the driver's seat.

"We're here to make sure you have a little fun once and a while. And blame the noise on Tina."

Blaine's partner in crime quit fiddling with the radio dials and looked up.

"Hey! I may have honked the horn a couple times, but you were shouting too, Blaine Warbler."

"I didn't _swear_, Tina."

"'Ass' doesn't count."

Blaine turned to Sam and deadpanned, "They say she was shy and quiet freshman year. I don't see it."

Sam laughed and Blaine joined in; Tina just rolled her eyes.

"Ha. Ha. Now Sam, get your _ass_—" Tina shot Blaine a look, "—in the car so we can go. I would like to actually _do_ something before I have to be home for curfew."

Sam climbed into the backseat and Blaine sped off toward his house. A little while later, the trio was hanging out in Blaine's bedroom. Sam and Blaine were fully entrenched in his latest Xbox purchase and Tina was splitting her attention between the television screen and playing around on Blaine's computer. After a while, Tina broached a topic that she had been avoiding for a couple days.

"You guys like school dances, right?"

"Not particularly," Sam replied without breaking his gaze from the television set.

"What's this about, Tay-Tay?" Blaine had a feeling that she was going to say something he wouldn't like.

"Well, you know my personal assistant, Dottie Kazatori?"

"Yeah," the boys chimed in unison.

"I still don't understand why you need an assistant," Blaine added.

Tina ignored his comment. "Well she's been talking to Stoner Brett recently and they seem to be getting along, you know? Like, they're interested in each other—"

"Seriously?" Blaine interrupted.

"What's wrong? I like Brett. He's a pretty chill dude," Sam defended.

"Of course he's 'chill,'" Blaine said, using air-quotes. "He's called _Stoner_ Brett!"

"That's not the point, guys," Tina said before Sam could list the many merits of Brett. "What's is important is Dottie is frustrated that he hasn't made a move yet so she came to me for advice."

"What does this have to do with dances?" Blaine asked.

"I'm getting there. I told Dottie that she should make the first move; that's what I did with Mike. And after all, we _are_ modern women."

Blaine nodded and Sam did as well, though less enthusiastically as he recalled the last time Mercedes made a move.

"But she is nervous and doesn't know how to approach it so I thought, why not have a Sadie Hawkins—"

"No."

"Why not?! That would be a perfect excuse for her to ask him out!"

"I said no." Blaine said firmly. "Wait, why are you even asking our opinion anyway?"

"C'mon, Blainey-days! You're student body president and vice president! You guys can just say the word and BLAM! Sadie Hawkins dance!"

"Dude! She just used our nickname against us!"

"I still vote no."

"Blaine, look," Tina pushed the laptop to the side and faced Blaine head-on. "I know you had a terrible experience at your last Sadie Hawkins dance. I will never be able to understand what that was like and I know McKinley doesn't really have any prospects for you, but it's really important that I do this for Dottie. And all girls who are too scared to make a move."

Blaine just looked back at Tina silently. It was becoming obvious to Sam that they were in a stalemate so he decided to speak up with his own suggestion.

"Dude, you could be my date. And Tina too! You know, like a three-way date." Sam grinned, excited that he may have found the perfect solution. He thought back to the prom proposal he received his sophomore year and added, "but not the dirty kind!" in his best Rachel voice.

The trio burst into laughter. After a moment Sam calmed enough to continue speaking.

"Seriously though, we should go together. Mercedes is in LA and Mike is in Chicago. So you can go with us and not worry about trying to find another dude who likes dudes and doesn't mind going to a likely lame McKinley dance."

Sam looked at Blaine, waiting for his decision. Tina looked at Blaine as well, trying to figure out any hint of what he was thinking. She really wanted this to work out, for Dottie's sake, but if Blaine was really against it she wouldn't force him. She would just have to move on to plan B. Unfortunately, the only other plan she had involved her confronting Brett herself, and that really wouldn't help Dottie in the long run.

Blaine sighed, "Alright."

Tina squealed and hopped off the bed to engulf Blaine in a hug. Sam patted Blaine on the shoulder in silent support and gratitude. Blaine just smiled, enjoying the love that surrounded him. _I can't believe I was worried about not having friends this year._

News of the Sadie Hawkins dance spread like wildfire. It took virtually no persuasion to get Figgins to approve their proposal. Blaine was convinced that while Figgins liked to act like an authority figure, he secretly enjoyed extra-curricular events just as much as the students did. As predicted, his only request was that the glee club provided the entertainment. Finn was excited to make the announcement during their lunch meeting.

"So, as you all know, there will be a Sadie Hawkins dance and we will be the entertainment!"

As usual the students responded with groans. The newest members of the glee club looked nervous at the prospect of performing in front of their peers.

"Don't be nervous, guys! Yes, they cancelled our holiday concert in favor of the local senior citizen hand bell choir and we haven't really performed since sectionals, but this will be great! Everyone loves when glee performs at dances!"

"Yet the next day they go back to throwing slushies at us and making our lives hell," grumbled Artie.

Tina spoke up in defense of her pet project, "This event is more than a dance, it is about female empowerment and if you're an enemy of Sadie Hawkins, you're an enemy of women everywhere!"

"Ok Tina, let's reign it in, "Blaine interrupted. He nodded to Finn to continue his pep talk.

"The point is, you all joined glee because you love music and performing. Right now, we're an inactive club, but if we do the Sadie Hawkins dance we will be temporarily back in action. Which means we get the choir room back. No more singing outside."

The teens brightened considerably at being able to return to some sense of normalcy. Before sectionals they were starting to become a unit, but ever since they were displaced from their choir room, the bonds between some of them failed to make any progress, particularly between the old and new members.

"Also, unlike Mr. Shue, l'm gonna let you guys pick whatever songs you want."

This additional information renewed everyone's enthusiasm and they began excitedly coming up with set list ideas. Tina grinned, linked her arms with Blaine and Sam who sat on either side of her, and squeezed them in excitement. Blaine glanced over at her and smiled before turning back to Artie to continue brainstorming. Sam grinned as well, happy that everyone else was so happy. When he told Mercedes about the dance she was vicariously excited for it. Though he was concerned about fitting rehearsals into his already tight schedule, Sam was excited as well. He really missed performing with his friends. _I wonder if we can do another One Direction song?_

_**Sorry it's kinda short... This chapter loosely ties us back to the season 4 timeline. For those who are concerned, this won't be happening often, but the episodes thru valentines just happen to work out with my storyline. The dance is up next, then the Wemma wedding!**_

_**Again, please review if you can. Your responses really really help with generating ideas and general motivation. Thanks for reading!**_


	18. Chapter 18

_**Hey everyone! Yet again, sorry about the delay. RL got really busy but I wrote as much as I could while I was at work, haha. This chapter was really difficult, my props to all the writers who include musical numbers in their stories, that ish is hard! I've lost a little momentum, but I still have plans to finish this, never fear! THANK YOU to all the reviewers, sorry I wasn't able to reply to you all like I usually do. Anyway, here goes...**_

_**Disclaimer for glee and songs and such applies.**_

_**Chapter 18**_

The night of the Sadie Hawkins dance arrived quickly. Sam and Blaine arrived at Tina's house dressed to the nines. Blaine was considerably more comfortable in a suit than Sam was, but he still grinned happily as Tina's parents took the obligatory photos before sending them on their way. Once they arrived at McKinley, the trio met up with the rest of the glee club in the choir room to warm up their voices and do last minute run-throughs of their numbers.

As always, the construction of the set list was a production in and of itself. There were arguments about who got to have a solo, and the teens spent a lot of time shooting down song ideas. Joe suggested Relient K's 'Sadie Hawkins Dance' but Artie rejected it for being too "on the nose." The girls unanimously banned Blaine from singing any more 80s songs. The decision-making process made tempers rise, but their anxiety was truly related to the stress of performing for their peers.

But once the dance started, all of their stress was channeled into energy. They were there to perform but also to have a good time. Marley and Jake attended together while Ryder went with Kitty, since she gave him no choice. Sugar decided to ask Artie to rekindle their brief romance from the previous year, while Unique and Joe went solo. Brittany elected to go alone as well, stating that it was more fun to be able to dance with other people's dates than pick just one person. Tina was happy to see that many girls were brave enough to take the lead and ask a guy out, but there were still fewer actual couples in attendance than there were for traditional dances. Rather than be disappointed, she focused on fact that her primary goal had been achieved. Dottie Kazatori had successfully asked out Stoner Brett and they seemed to be having a good time together.

The glee club performances went off without a hitch. The girls sang Bruno Mars' "Locked Out of Heaven" and went old school with "Tell Him" by The Exciters. Following the tradition of Rachel Berry, Tina sang a song that was too somber for a high school dance, "I Don't Know How to Love Him" from Jesus Christ Superstar. The boys didn't disappoint either. They pulled off a surprising cover of "No Scrubs" by TLC and Blaine channeled his inner Timberlake and sang "Suit & Tie" effortlessly with the help of Artie's Jay-Z.

Sam had insisted that the boys continued the tradition of performing at least one boy band song. Jake and Ryder were resistant on going "full on boy band" insisting that all boy group numbers are cheesy enough. The new boys were slowly realizing that Sam had a love for pop music but refused to indulge in it with him. Sam remained stubbornly emphatic that this was the way to go, citing the previous year's performance of "That's What Makes You Beautiful."

The veteran members of the glee club swiftly ended the argument as they noticed Sam was becoming increasingly hysterical in his defense of a One Direction encore or as he called them, One New Direction. Blaine had tried to talk to Sam about the scene he caused during practice but never made any progress. It wasn't until they were in the middle of "They Don't Know About Us" that he began to understand.

Sam, Blaine, Ryder, Jake, Artie, and Joe danced and sang in harmony. Just as Sam predicted, the crowd of students loved their boy band routine especially when they "kept it sexy" like he advised. Blaine still disagreed about how sexy a show choir really should be, but this was a school dance not a competition so he didn't mind giving a little extra for their fans crowding the stage. What got Blaine's attention was the intensity and sincerity in Sam's voice when he took the lead for the chorus.

_They don't know about the things we do_

_They don't know about the 'I love you's_

_But I bet you if they only knew_

_They would just be jealous of us_

_They don't know about the up all nights_

_They don't know I've waited all my life_

_Just to find a love that feels this right_

_Baby they don't know about_

_They don't know about us_

Blaine noticed that Sam's eyes closed, and he was truly emoting the lyrics to the crowd. When they got to the end of their performance, the boys bowed to the cheering teens and made their way off the stage. Blaine quickly made a beeline to Sam, but didn't catch up to him until they were in the hallway. Sam was seated on the ground, resting his back against a locker with his knees drawn up to his chest. Blaine sat down next to him with his own legs out and crossed at the ankle. These heart-to-heart conversations were becoming familiar between them and he decided to go first.

"You seemed really 'in the zone' on stage. Thinking about Mercedes?"

Sam only nodded in response without lifting his forehead from his knees.

"You wanna talk about it?"

Sam stayed in position but shook his head this time.

"Well, if I had to guess I would say that this song makes you think of the days when you and Mercedes had a secret relationship." Blaine looked over at Sam but the blond didn't acknowledge his statement.

"Maybe it makes you think of the people that doubted your relationship." Blaine continued. "I mean, Sue called you guys _implausible_." Another glance at his friend saw no change.

"_But,_" Blaine continued, "it might also remind you of when you returned from Kentucky to win her back, and even though she was hesitant to leave Shane everyone else was thrilled when you got back together. We mourned with you when you broke up again, and we'll celebrate with you when you inevitably get back together again."

Before Blaine could continue Sam blurted out, "We haven't spoken in a week and I'm freaking out."

However, Sam's face was still resting on his knees so his voice came out muffled and Blaine couldn't understand a word.

"Pardon?"

Sam sighed and finally looked up; he rested his chin on his knees this time.

"Mercedes and I haven't spoken in a week and I'm freaking out, dude."

"Did you stop talking for any particular reason?"

"It wasn't on purpose really; I had that Hemingway paper, remember? And she's got this Intro to Music Composition class that's kicking her ass. So we've been really busy and we can never talk at the same time."

"But you've been trying?"

"Of course! We'll leave a text or something but it's never a full conversation or anything. Sometimes she doesn't reply at all."

"But you guys already covered this at the beginning, remember?" Blaine reminded Sam. "You both were very clear about not wanting to get in the way of each other's school and work."

"Yeah, I just didn't think we really wouldn't find time for each other."

"Sure, but you've got to understand that this is temporary, but it will happen from time to time. You both are really busy."

Sam sighed sadly and nodded. Blaine stood and brushed off the seat of his pants. He stuck out a hand and once Sam had latched on he pulled him to stand up.

"Don't worry, Sam. I'm sure it will all be fine. She's probably feeling the same as you."

"Thanks, bro." Sam pulled Blaine into a hug.

"That's what bros are for."

"Hey!" A voice spoke up, "I'm all for hot man on man action, but it's a slow song and I refuse to hold up the wall with the lonely people just because my boyfriend's not here."

Sam and Blaine released each other and looked up to see Tina with a hip cocked and her arms folded. Her amused smirk was the only hint that she was joking. The boys laughed.

"We can't let that happen," Sam said, throwing an arm over either friend's shoulder and ushering them to the dance floor.

As Ryder, Unique, Joe, and Artie sang the last few notes of "I Only Have Eyes for You," Finn was making his way onto the dance floor. He came upon Sam, Tina, and Blaine who were slow dancing together by standing in a tight circle and wrapping their arms around each other's shoulder or waist. After raising an eyebrow at the first group slow dance he had ever seen, he tapped Blaine on his shoulder and cleared his throat to get the trio's attention. They turned to look up at Finn.

"You wanna cut in?" Sam asked. Finn pulled a confused face in response and Tina giggled.

"What? No! I wanted to call an emergency glee meeting."

"Now?" Blaine asked incredulously.

"Yeah, it's an _emergency_. Help me get the others and we'll meet in the choir room."

Sam shrugged at his friends and they went off in search of their classmates while Finn headed to the front to catch the singers as they exited the stage. A few minutes later they had all congregated in the choir room and were chatting confusedly with each other. Finn stood in front of the group and clapped his hands to get their attention.

"Okay guys, I have some news for you!"

"It better be important and not something about your sad, sad life." Kitty interrupted, "Because I was really getting somewhere."

Ryder looked at her, perturbed that she had obvious plans for him; Finn looked mildly offended.

"I just got off the phone with Mr. Schue. We're going to Regionals!"

The group cheered in excitement, jumping, clapping and hugging each other. Blaine stopped in mid-celebration.

"Wait, how is that possible? The Warblers won. And they were amazing."

"Too amazing," Finn grinned. "Turns they've been using steroids to help with their dance moves. Their captain, Hunter, lashed out at his girlfriend in a fit of 'roid rage so she got him back by telling the officials. The Warblers are officially disqualified and we will be taking their place!"

Another round of cheering went around the choir room. Even Blaine, who was deeply disappointed in the unsportsmanlike conduct of his former peers, couldn't help but join in the excitement. This would get him back in the spotlight and back in the running for a NYADA audition.

"Okay guys," Finn called out over the excited ruckus, "I need you to go out there and use this energy for our closing number. And when you come back to school Monday be ready to work cuz we got a second chance at Nationals and we're not gonna waste it!"

The glee club cheered yet again and quickly got into a show circle. Once they broke, they ran back into the gym to take their places for their last group number, Owl City & Carly Rae Jepson's song "It's Always a Good Time"

_Sugar_ & **Joe**:

_Woah-oh-oh-oh _

**It's always a good time **

_Woah-oh-oh-oh_

**It's always a good time!**

**Blaine:**

**Woke up on the right side of the bed**

**What's up with this Prince song inside my head?**

**Hands up if you're down to get down tonight.**

**Cuz it's always a good time!**

**Jake:**

**Slept in all my clothes like I didn't care**

**Hopped into a cab, take me anywhere**

**I'm in if you're down to get down tonight.**

**Cuz it's always a good time!**

_Marley_ & **Jake**:

_Good morning and good night_

_I wake up at twilight_

_It's gonna be alright_

_**We don't even have to try, it's always a good time!**_

_Kitty_ & **Ryder**:

_**Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh**_

_**It's always a good time**_

_**Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh**_

_**We don't even have to try, it's always a good time!**_

**It's always a good time **

_Woah-oh-oh-oh_

_Tina:_

_Freaked out, dropped my phone in the pool again_

_Checked out of my room hit the ATM_

_Let's hang out if you're down to get down tonight._

_Cuz it's always a good time!_

**Sam** & _Brittany_:

**Good morning and good night**

_I wake up at twilight_

_**It's gonna be alright, we don't even have to try.**_

**It's always a good time!**

_Woo!_

_Tina__** & **_**Blaine**_**:**_

_**Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh**_

_**It's always a good time**_

_**Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh**_

_**We don't even have to try, it's always a good time!**_

_Marley__** & **_**Jake**_**:**_

**_Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh_**

_****__It's always a good time_

**_Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh_**

_**We don't even have to try, it's always a good time!**_

**Artie** & _Unique_:

**Doesn't matter when,**

**It's always a good time then**

_Doesn't matter where,_

_It's always a good time there._

**Doesn't matter when,**

_**It's always a good time then.**_

_**All:**_

_**It's always a good time!**_

_**Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh**_

_**It's always a good time**_

_**Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh**_

_**We don't even have to try, it's always a good time!**_

_**Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh**_

_**It's always a good time!**_

_**Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh**_

**_We don't even have to try, it's always a good time!_**

The last chorus was a free for all. Everyone broke formation to do as they felt. Brittany and Jake had an impromptu dance battle, Tina and Kitty pulled some nearby Cheerios onto the stage to join in, and Sam broke out the Windy City. They were working the crowd into frenzy and were in serious danger of starting the annual Sex Riot.

Sue Sylvester started to make her way to the stage to put a stop to the students' fun, but before she could get through the crowd, the song ended and Principal Figgins was on stage with a mic.

"Please give a round of applause for The McKinley High New Directions!"

The students cheered and the glee club grinned and hugged each other, happy to be back in favor. Sue finally made her way up front and snatched the mic from Figgins.

"This dance is now over! I want all you sweaty bags of hormones to exit my gym immediately!"

The glee club lingered on the stage, chatting with excitement. Below them on the dance floor, Artie rolled by with Sugar perched in his lap. She called out to her friends as they went.

"Hurry up, guys! Glee after-party at my house!"

Tina looked at her friends with a grin. "We're going, no excuses! Blaine, you'll drive. I'll convince my mom on the way."

Tina impressed her companions with her effortless persuasion that only contained one (major) lie _"Of course they got permission, but I still needed to check with you"_ and a promise to stay out of trouble and not drink and drive. Soon they were pulling up to Sugar's house to join in on the spirited celebrations.

A few hours later, the trio was entering the Cohen-Chang home. Tina gave her mother a summary of the evening while Blaine tried to usher a giggling Sam up the stairs to get ready for bed. The friends settled into Tina's bed with the television at a low hum. Tina had immediately opened Skype on her laptop to update Mike on everything from the day, even though she had texted him throughout most of it.

"I still feel like I'm supposed to be jealous that you're in bed with two other guys," Mike laughed.

"Whatever, baby. You know you don't need to worry cuz neither one of them is you." Tina made kissy faces at the monitor as Sam and Blaine rolled their eyes.

Sam leaned into the scope of the web cam, "No offense my Asian brother from an Asian mother. And father." Sam paused, seeming to have confused himself. "I've got my own woman. I don't want Tina."

Sam scrunched his face at the thought of something so distasteful. Tina pushed Sam for the perceived insult, which caused him to topple off the bed with an exaggerated "Ack!" Blaine tried to hush Sam through a fit of giggles and reached over the edge of the bed to pull his best friend right side up.

Sam made it back on the bed with a considerable amount of effort. He faced the laptop screen to apologize to his friend.

"Dude, I didn't mean it like that! Tina's a beautiful, wonderful girl but she just isn't my— 'Cedes!" It was at that moment that he noticed _Diva4Lyfe94_ go from the offline list to online.

"Sorry, dude. My lady's online; you gotta go!"

Tina intercepted Sam's hands as he reached for the track-pad. "Don't you dare hang up on my boyfriend!"

Blaine dodged out of the way of the ensuing wrestling match and plucked the laptop out of the melee.

"Hey, Mike."

"Hey, Blaine," he responded with a chuckle. "How's everything going?"

"Pretty good, actually. But, um, do you mind if we hang up so Sam could talk to Mercedes? He's been missing her lately."

"No worries, bro. I've gotta get to sleep anyway. Rehearsal in the morning." Mike looked at the tussle happening in the background and looked back at Blaine. "Tell Tina I said 'bye,' okay?"

"Sure. And thanks!" Blaine closed the window and opened a new one to talk with Mercedes. The diva in question appeared on the screen with a grin.

"Hey, T! Oh, hey Blaine," Mercedes was caught off guard by her missing best friend who she could hear swearing off screen. "What's going on?"

Sam's ears perked up at Mercedes voice. He left Tina and scrambled over to the laptop.

"Mercy! You're here! I miss you!" He practically snatched the laptop away from Blaine to gaze upon his long-distance love.

Mercedes laughed and gave a finger-wave, "Hey, Sammy. I miss you too. How was the dance?"

"Fun. But it woulda been better if I had my woman with me," Sam gave Mercedes an intense look that caused her to blush.

"Yeah," she said softly, "school dances are kinda our thing."

"You know what else is our thing?"

"Sam!" Tina exclaimed. "You're not about to have cyber sex on my laptop! Save that for when you get home!"

"You know that's a good idea—"

"Hey Tina!" Mercedes tried to interrupt Sam's line of thought. "How did all your performances go?"

"Amazing!"

Tina and Blaine launched into a recap of the night's performances as well as Finn's great news. Mercedes was excited that her friends would now have a chance to redeem themselves from the Sectionals performance and possibly make their way back to Nationals. They reviewed the set list and brainstormed for Regionals. A few minutes into the conversation Mercedes looked away from the screen to fiddle with her phone.

"Sam! What the hell!?" She collapsed in a fit of giggles.

Blaine looked over at Sam who had been sitting quietly with a smug look on his face. Blaine noticed the phone in his hands and leaned over to get a glimpse of the screen. Sam swiftly pulled it out of sight, but not before Blaine saw the words "lick" and what he thought was supposed to be "voluptuous."

"Sexting? Really, Sam?" Blaine deadpanned.

Sam just smirked back with a face that plainly stated, "I regret nothing."

"Oh my God, is he drunk or something?" Mercedes asked, still fighting laughter.

"Yeah, there was an after-party at Sugar's," said Tina. "We're Sam's 'fun sponsors' so we let him drink but we stayed sober. Well, Blaine did. But I was mostly sober."

"Well, be careful; Sam's a cuddle monster, especially when he's been drinking or asleep."

"Well he's gonna be cuddling with the floor. My parents may be hippies but they're no fools. I had to promise that Blaine was one hundred percent gay and would stay in the bed and Sam would stay on the air mattress. Plus the door has to stay open."

"Whatever, your parents are cool. I'm trying to figure out why we don't hang out at your house more often."

"Because then you and Sam wouldn't be able to play Halo, or Call of Duty, or whatever."

"Oh, that's right!" Mercedes laughed, "what's that your mom always says?"

Sam spoke up in an exaggerated lilt of Mrs. Cohen-Chang, "If you bring that simulated violence in my home, you'd better borrow some simulated money to buy some simulated food because I'm not feeding any warmongers."

The teens burst into laughter at Sam's impression.

"Alright guys! It's late! Go to sleep!" Shouted Tina's mother from down the hall.

"She's right," Mercedes said. "I'm gonna go. And Sam?"

"Yeah Mercy-baby?"

"Text me anytime."

_**Thanks for reading! A little Samcedes interaction to tie you over until I get my act together for Chapter 19. The musical numbers are from glee except "Suit & Tie," "They Don't Know About Us" (zeejack's suggestion- Thanks!), and "It's Always a Good Time." (It took forever to decide on that. I wanted to use Timeflies's I Choose You because I love it, but it kinda messes up my storyline. If you like any electronic-inspired music I recommend it.)**_

_**Anyway, Thanks a ton for reading this, hope it didn't disappoint. Not to sound insecure, but I'm really hoping I'm still on the right track. Oh, and next chapter is the Wemma wedding, so you know what that means...**_

_**Please Review!**_


	19. Chapter 19

**_Here it is! The moment we have all been waiting for! Thanks to all my lovely reviewers! Without further ado..._**

**Chapter 19**

"So far so good" was the mantra of Sam Evans in February. All his scheduling had been going according to plan; he was still passing all his classes and pulling his weight for the synchronized swim team. Some of the guys at the shop had been letting him assist in the more complicated repairs, and he was somehow still finding the time to participate in glee again.

The glee club was particularly busy delivering singing telegrams to raise money for Regionals. They had also been asked by Mr. Schuester to sing at his wedding. In the spirit of romanticism that Sam could appreciate, Will and Emma's wedding was to be held on Valentine's Day. Unfortunately, Valentine's Day fell on a Thursday, and while the prices for weekday flights and venue reservations were considerably cheaper than the weekend, something everyone could appreciate, it made scheduling tricky for those coming from out of town.

One of those visitors was Mercedes Jones, who caught the red-eye from LA to get there in time to sing in the ceremony. That's why Sam was circling the airport early that morning. Somehow Schue convinced Figgins to let the students in the glee club be excused from classes for the day, and Sam jumped on the opportunity to greet Mercedes at the airport. On his fourth cycle around, Sam spotted Mercedes at the curb. She was wearing a grey peacoat, leggings, and Jordans with her hair wrapped in a colorful scarf.

"MJ!" Sam called excitedly.

Mercedes quickly scanned the cars lined up at the curb. Her eyes lit up and her face broke into a grin as soon as she spotted Burt's loaner truck. She made her way toward it, dragging her suitcase behind her. Sam hopped out the cab of the truck and jogged to meet her halfway. When they were finally face-to-face Sam scooped her up in a tight hug.

"I missed you," he whispered in her ear.

"I missed you too," she mumbled into his chest.

They stood holding each other until another driver honked his horn. Realizing they were blocking traffic, they released each other. Sam reached for Mercedes' suitcase.

"Get in. I'll put your bag in the back." He lifted the suitcase with a grunt; it was way heavier than it looked. "What the hell do you have in here? Bricks?"

Mercedes laughed as she boosted herself into the truck. "I couldn't decide what to wear so I packed a little bit of everything."

Sam buckled himself in and pulled away from the curb. "Does that mean I've got front row tickets to a private fashion show?"

Mercedes laughed at his hopeful tone, "You'd like that, wouldn't you? You look pretty sharp, by the way."

Sam glanced down at his outfit. He was already dressed for the wedding, wearing the same suit he had for Sadie Hawkins. He'd also gotten a bit of a trim at Tina and Blaine's behest. He ran a hand through the shortened locks a bit bashfully.

"Yeah? Thanks," he replied with a shy smile.

"Own it. A wise man once told me that confidence is sexy."

"He sounds very wise. He must be sexy as well."

"_Very_."

"Okay, we'll be in Lima soon; try and get some rest. When we get to your house you can get ready and then I'll drive us to the church."

Mercedes brooked no argument with his plan and put on a pair of oversized sunglasses and tilted the seat back to grab as many moments of rest possible. Sam sped down the highway in silence except the rumble of the engine and Mercedes' soft breathing. Every few minutes he glanced at his sleeping companion, and every time he did a smile crept onto his face and warmth spread throughout his chest.

Once they had arrived at the Jones residence, Sam threw the truck in park and got out to fetch Mercedes' belongings. Once everything was in order on her porch, Sam opened the passenger door for the sleeping woman and unbuckled her seatbelt. _She looks so beautiful_. If this were several months ago he would have kissed her awake like the Prince Charming to her Sleeping Beauty. But since they were pre-dating, he felt that as much as they both undoubtedly wanted it, it wasn't a good idea. Instead he cupped her face in his palm and stroked his thumb over the curve of her left cheek.

"Wakey wakey, 'Cedes," he whispered.

Mercedes scrunched her nose and began to shift in the seat.

"We're home?" She asked with a raspy voice.

"Yup."

Mercedes took off her shades, stretched, and swung her legs to the ledge of the cab, preparing to hop out of the truck. Instead, Sam grabbed her by the waist and placed her softly on her feet. They stood toe to toe in the driveway.

"Thanks," she rasped.

"Anytime," Sam replied, his bright green eyes gazing purposefully into her deep brown ones.

Mercedes matched his gaze while her lips curled into a smile. She turned and made her way to the porch where her suitcase and purse were waiting. Mercedes dug out her keys and unlocked the empty house while Sam picked up her suitcase.

"Go on up, I've got your stuff."

Sam followed her up the stairs and tried to focus on the view instead of the heartbreaking event that happened the last time he was there. As he tried to enter Mercedes' bedroom he was stopped by a small palm on his chest.

"I've got it from here," she stated firmly.

"I thought I could help you pick something out," he goofily waggled his eyebrows at her.

"Nice try. Now let me be so I can get ready; I don't want to be late."

Sam grinned, "It was worth a shot." He headed downstairs to wait.

A little while later, Sam heard the clicking of high heels coming down the stairs. He looked up to see Mercedes descending, clothed in a hot pink dress that clung to her curves and gave a peak of cleavage.

_Wow_. "Wow."

Mercedes tried to hide a smile and brushed her bangs back from face. "Is it too sexy for a wedding?"

Sam gave her a very obvious once-over, "You can't help it. Your sexy can't be tamed."

Mercedes laughed, "You're crazy."

The pair paused and locked eyes for a moment. Mercedes cursed herself for slipping back into their familiar banter. Both of them knew how Sam would typically reply, but he stayed silent. Sam and Mercedes were having a hard time navigating the pre-dating concept. They both wanted to get back together and knew that the other did too, but each was afraid to bring it up. Instead, they continued to stare at each other in silence. Sam was the first one to speak up, but instead of the "crazy about you" that had been the custom he just said,

"One second, and we can leave." Then with a wink he jogged out of the room.

Once she was alone, Mercedes let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding and smoothed her palms over her thighs. In a blink Sam was back carrying a thermos.

"Lemon tea. With honey." He pushed the thermos into her hands.

Mercedes took a sip and sighed, "Thanks. You take such good care of me."

"Of course," Sam replied while helping her into her coat and nudging her towards the door. "Now let's get out of here so you can bless us all with your voice and Schue and Ms. Pillsbury can finally get married."

The two left the Jones home and made their way to the wedding, excited to see their teacher finally get his happily ever after.

When Sam and Mercedes arrived they parked near Blaine's car whose windows were suspiciously fogged up. Mercedes peaked in to see her friends making out shamelessly in the backseat. Mercedes interrupted their activities with a knock on the window.

"Let's go, you two!"

Kurt and Blaine reluctantly parted and exited the vehicle. Kurt tried to straighten out his outfit while Mercedes side-eyed him. Sam just grinned at his best friend and initiated a fist bump. Mercedes rolled her eyes at the boys' antics and linked arms with Kurt and rushed off towards the church excitedly whispering with Kurt. Blaine and Sam followed behind their exes. Sam watched Blaine pat at his hair.

"Dude, it's fine. I'm pretty sure it's impossible for your hair to move."

Once they got inside, the boys went to find seats while Mercedes looked for a place to do her last minute vocal warm ups.

/

"I can say with one hundred percent certainty that that was _not_ how I expected the wedding to end." Mike said.

He, Tina, Mercedes, and Sam were seated at a table in the reception hall with matching stunned faces.

"Really," he continued, "I was more ready to believe that Terry or Carl would come out of the woodwork and yell, 'I object!' But Ms. Pillsbury doing a runaway bride?"

"This glee club is cursed," Tina added, dabbing the tears from her eyes to avoid messing up her makeup.

"T, I know you're upset and this is sad, but that's a little dramatic," Mercedes chuckled dryly.

"I can't help the tears. Most of the time I'm annoyed with Mr. Schuester but he didn't deserve this. And think about it! Someone's breaking up like every week and none of the weddings ever work out."

Sam could feel the eyes of his friends on him at the mention of the other glee weddings. Mike tried to save his friend from embarrassment.

"Babe, let's go dance. It'll make you feel better." He practically dragged Tina onto the dance floor where the deejay was asking the attendees to "get this party started."

Sam and Mercedes sat next to each other in silence watching their friends socialize and dance around. Mercedes sighed and rested her head on Sam's shoulder. She had missed him so much while she was in California, and now that they were back in each other's presence she didn't know what to say, but she was happy just to absorb his presence.

Sam rested his head on hers and smiled to himself. Right now, despite the disappointment of the wedding, he couldn't help but feel content.

Across the room, Blaine and Kurt, drunk on each other's company, decided to take the stage and sing.

"I'm worried about them," Mercedes said.

"Why?" Sam asked. From where he was sitting the two looked perfectly happy.

"You saw them hooking up before the wedding. I just feel like it's gonna end in tears. They had real problems with managing the distance. And I know Blaine is one of your best friends, but he _cheated_ on Kurt." Mercedes paused and sighed frustrated, "I just think they need to be careful and not so casual cuz I don't want them to get hurt."

"Mercedes, they may be gay but they're still guys! You know how guys are. Sometimes we just need to get off."

"Is that so?" Mercedes sat up to face Sam with one eyebrow raised.

Sam blushed deeply, "No! I meant... You know... not—"

Mercedes burst into laughter, "There's no hope in digging yourself out of that hole. Don't even try."

Sam stood up swiftly and straightened out his suit. With a flourish, he stuck out his hand to Mercedes and said with a smirk, "Mercedes, I just wanted to say you look beautiful. Would you like to dance?"

"You're so corny," Mercedes replied with a grin.

Sam wiggled his fingers at her waiting for her to oblige. With a laugh Mercedes grabbed hold and took the lead to the dance floor.

"Alright, White Chocolate. Try and keep up!"

The teens partied the night away, dancing and mingling with friends but always finding their way back to each other throughout the night. As time went on, the attendees began to dwindle, pairing off and making their exit, some more subtly than others and at varying levels of sobriety. Sam approached Mercedes, who was answering Unique's many questions about life in LA. He tapped Mercedes' right shoulder and quickly moved to her left, tricking her into looking the wrong way before turning to face him.

"You know, you'd think I'd expect it by now," she laughed. "What's up?"

"It's getting kinda late. I thought I'd drive you home?"

"Sure!" Mercedes said her goodbyes to Unique and gathered her belongings, waving goodbye to others on their way out the ballroom.

The two walked down the hall toward the exit passing the bank of elevators. As one of them opened for an elderly man to exit, Mercedes grabbed Sam's hand and pulled him in before the doors closed.

"MJ! What the hell?" Sam was amused by her antics but at a complete loss for what was going on.

Mercedes pressed the button for the fourth floor and turned to face Sam. "I was thinking," she pulled a keycard from her bra, "we could hang out and, you know, talk?"

Sam smirked and grasped her hips firmly and pulled her closer. "Talk?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Mercedes bit her bottom lip to hold back a smile. As the doors opened she grabbed Sam's hand to lead him down the hall. Sam followed eagerly, and once they had approached the door, stood pressed against her backside with both hands roaming her hips and waist. Mercedes giggled as she felt his lips nip at her collarbone and his blond hair brush her cheek. She fumbled with the keycard and finally made it into the room and made a beeline for the bed, letting the door swing shut behind them.

Mercedes leaned back on the bed as Sam knelt over her, kissing her deeply. As air became a priority they parted, Sam rested his forehead on Mercedes' and looked into her brown eyes, which seemed to have darkened even further.

"This is the best conversation ever."

Mercedes dissolved into giggles and pushed Sam off of her.

"Ok, we do need to talk, Sam." They both turned on their side to face each other in a reclining position.

"Yes. Let's do this," Sam put on what Mercedes and his little siblings called "Sammy's serious face."

"I just want to say thank you for being so mature and patient with me. You really are my rock. It is so clear that you love me and I love you too. So if you want, and if you're ready, I want to officially get back together."

Sam leaned forward and kissed Mercedes on the lips. "I am definitely ready. And I can tell that you are too. These past weeks have been awesome; pre-dating is great. But now I think we're ready for the real thing."

"Then it's official. We're back together. No more taking it super slow; I want to be back to how we were when we thought we had all the time in the world."

"Mercy, that is exactly what I want. Back to our good ol' days."

"But better! Because we're both better people than we used to be. I'll never lose my diva sass but I'm scaling back the drama now. And you are so much of a man now, I don't even know what to do!"

"I can think of a few things," Sam smirked as he leaned in for a kiss.

The couple made out fiercely, as if they were trying to make up for lost time all at once. Sam was hovering over Mercedes with one knee between her thighs, bunching her dress up at her waist. Mercedes had her arms locked around his neck trying to keep him as close as possible. After a few minutes Sam tried to part from the kiss but Mercedes let out a whine and pulled him back by his tie. Sam succumbed to her forceful action and resumed kissing her, this time working his way down her neck and into the cleavage he had been parted with for far too long.

Mercedes was panting now, and her hips started to roll slightly in a rhythm Sam was very familiar with. _This is happening! This is finally happening!_ Sam broke her grip on him and rolled off her.

"Sammy!" Mercedes whined.

"Hold on. If we're gonna do this, we have to do it right."

With that, Sam stood and crossed the room. Once he reached the door, he took the "Do Not Disturb" tag and displayed it on the outside doorknob. He slid the chain at the top of the door for good measure.

"Now, where were we?" Sam turned around to see Mercedes under the bed sheet, with her dress and lingerie in a pile on the floor.

"We were going to make it official," Mercedes reminded him with a coy smile.

Sam grinned widely and began unbuttoning his shirt while approaching the bed.

"Wait! Do you have a condom?"

Sam paused at this question with one arm out of his shirt.

"Seriously? MJ you booked a hotel room, but didn't bring condoms? We've had this conversation before. You can't depend on me to always have them. I get a little forgetful sometimes, you know that." Sam was pouting at this point, "and now that things have started going I just can't shut it down now!" He gestured somewhat erratically at his tented trousers.

Mercedes burst into giggles, "Don't freak out, boy, I was just kidding. Check my purse."

Sam brightened considerably and rummaged through the purse that had been abandoned on the floor. Amongst her wallet, keys and various beauty supplies Sam found two shiny foil packages with his scrawl on them.

_**For Sammy Jr. Only**_

_**SE loves MJ**_

"Are these...?"

"The ones you gave me after the missing condom incident? Yeah."

"You kept them?"

"Well, I couldn't give them to anyone else with your name possessively scribbled all over them," Mercedes laughed.

"Mercy, you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do. Sam, I missed you and every time we split I always kind of hoped we would get back together someday. And even if we never got to use them, I kept them as a memento of the times we shared. Now stop making me wait and show me how much you missed me!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Sam replied, putting on a bit more Southern twang than usual.

Sam climbed into the bed and shucked off the rest of his clothes. The newly reunited couple picked up where they left off, lips tasting skin, hands stroking and grasping. Gasps, moans, and whispered "I love yous" lingered in the air. After some time, a crinkling of foil was heard, then a pause of silence followed by a deep sigh from the couple that could be loosely translated as, "Finally!"

Before movement was a resumed a voice whispered, "Mercy?"

"Yeah, Sammy?"

"Will you be my valentine?"

"Of course," she responded through giggles. "Always."

**_Hope I delivered for all my Samcedians! This chapter made me nervous so I really really really want to know what you think. Please consider blessing me with a review. But more importantly, Samcedes is back together! Finally! Woo!... Now let's see how the rest of the semester goes. I'll update as soon as possible. Thanks for reading!_**


	20. Chapter 20

**_So... I'm embarrassed about how long it took me to publish this chapter since I already had it started when I uploaded Chapter 19. RL got in the way big time and I've started reading real books instead of writing during my subway commute. Sorry. Then my internet went out so I'm uploading from my phone. So, yeah. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far... Anyway, here's the next chapter. The standard disclaimer applies._**

**_Chapter 20_**

The sun streaming through the hotel room window woke Sam up the next morning. He took a mental inventory of the situation. _Not my room, I'm definitely naked, and I'm spooning with someone._ He squeezed the form that his body was wrapped around. It was very familiar. _Mercedes! It wasn't a dream._

"Score," Sam whispered to himself.

"You're such a dork," Mercedes giggled.

"You're awake?"

"Yeah, I have been for a while, but your inner cuddle monster wouldn't release me. Now that you're awake, can I please go to the bathroom?"

"Sure," he said while rolling off of her. "But don't be gone too long."

Mercedes slipped out of the bed keeping the bed sheet wrapped firmly around her. It trailed behind her, leaving Sam to cover himself with a pillow. He laid there for a few minutes and let it all sink in. It was done. After almost two years of on-and-off and back-and-forth they were finally back together. There were no limits and reservations and Sam was determined that they would be together for the rest of their lives.

A few minutes later he heard the shower start running and realized that he should start getting ready to go. Sam crossed the room to his pants and rummaged through his pockets to find his cell phone. _8:15. Late for school. If I were actually trying to go._ Sam scrolled through his contacts and quickly made a call.

"Good morning, Sam. Everything okay?"

"Hey, Mr. Hummel. I hoping you could do me a favor..." Sam trailed off.

"Mercedes is in town for the wedding and you want to skip school to spend time with her?"

"Yeah. How'd you know?"

"Because I would do the same thing. It's no problem, son. I'll just call the school and tell them you're sick or too sad from the wedding or something."

"You heard?"

"Of course. Kurt told me. Just like he told me you and Mercedes seemed to have worked things out."

"Yup, we're finally back together."

"I'm glad. Now you have fun and treat 'Cedes right; she's my favorite after Kurt."

Sam laughed, "Of course I will. Thanks again, Mr. Hummel."

"No problem. Bye."

"Bye." Sam hung up.

"Was that Papa Burt?"

Sam turned around to see Mercedes in just a towel. She was digging around in her purse.

"Yup, he's gonna call the school so I can have a day off to spend with you."

Mercedes wanted to argue that school was more important than hanging out with her, but in reality she was happy that he already took care of everything. She was way too excited to spend the day with him to ask him to leave her. So instead she said just said, "Thanks. And do you really call Papa Burt 'Mr. Hummel?'"

Sam chuckled, "Yeah, it's a habit he's given up on trying to break. Now lemme hop in the shower and we can check out."

Sam showered as quickly as possible, he didn't want to spend any more minutes separated from Mercedes than necessary. When he was done he came out of the bathroom with a towel slung low around his waist and was drying his hair with another towel. Mercedes was fully dressed and seated on the foot of the bed, flipping through the television channels. She didn't say anything, but Sam could feel her eyes on him, taking in his sculpted form. Sam got dressed slowly, practically posing at various stages of dress.

"Boy, you are so messy," Mercedes finally spoke up. "I know what you're doing!"

Sam just laughed and returned to a normal pace. "You seemed to be enjoying it," he said smugly.

Mercedes refused to dignify his accurate statement with a response. Instead she grabbed her coat and purse.

"Ready?" she called from the door.

Sam finished tying his laces, picked up his coat and followed her. Once inside the elevator, he gave them a quick once-over. Her makeup was done and everything was in place but his clothes were extremely rumpled.

"How is it you look just as perfect as you did yesterday while I look like I'm doing the walk of shame?"

"Cuz there's no shame in my game," Mercedes sassed while exiting the elevator.

The drive to the Joneses' house was a happy one. They blasted music and sang along and always maintained contact, whether it was holding hands or resting a hand on the other's thigh. Once they arrived, they made themselves comfortable; Mercedes was eager to change her clothes and both were craving cereal. A while later they found themselves in the den in a familiar position. Sam rested his head on Mercedes's lap while she carded her fingers through his hair. As music videos played softly in the background, the couple chatted about everything and nothing. Mercedes knew to stay away from stressful topics like college plans but told him all about the tracks they were working on at the studio. Sam informed her about the synchronized swimming season and his decision to skip out on baseball season in favor of glee rehearsal and increased responsibility at the garage. Mercedes was proud of Sam's focus but did verbalize her disappointment that she'd never see him in a baseball uniform again.

Throughout their time together they fielded texts from their friends. Once Blaine and Tina noticed Sam was missing they sent texts asking where he was. He tried to simply state that he would be out for the day, and while Blaine was satisfied with his answer Tina spent the rest of the morning texting Mercedes for more information. She responded and seemed to be having an ongoing conversation, but she refused to let Sam know what was being said.

Mercedes also received texts from Artie begging her to come "drop knowledge" in glee that afternoon and from Santana and Puck making plans to meet up with the others at Breadstix for dinner. She gave a negative response to Artie claiming to have jet lag. She told her fellow graduates that she would be there and reminded them to invite the current seniors to join them.

It was a few moments later that Sam received another text. He read it and let out a groan.

"What's wrong?"

"Puck invited me to a glee dinner at Breadstix. Actually, it was more of an order than an invite."

"Yeah, I know. I thought it would be fun. We haven't all caught up in a while."

"Are you kidding? You guys seem to be here all the time! Except you. You're never here enough and I wanted to spend this weekend with you."

"You _will_ be with me. And our friends. They may visit you all the time, but I rarely get to see them."

Sam could tell by Mercedes's tone that her decision was final and he had no hope in changing her mind. So instead he groaned again and muffled his face in her lap.

"Hey, we still have the rest of the day," Mercedes tried to cheer him up.

Sam sat up quickly, encouraged by the thought of a few more hours of one-on-one time.

"Ok, so that means we need to use it right. Get up, let's go!"

Sam pulled Mercedes up from her seat on the couch. She followed him out of the den laughing at his barely contained excitement, one of her favorite attributes of his.

They were soon on the road again. Sam wanted to go everywhere they used to in their early days. That meant first they went to lunch at the pizzeria where he used to work. Enough time had gone by that he could finally eat pizza without feeling bitter or nauseous. The pizza still wasn't all that great, but being there reminded them of the days following prom when they were still "just friends." Mercedes would show up on off-peak hours and claim to have nothing to do. Sometimes she would even ride along with Sam on deliveries though he drew the line on her actually bringing the food to the customers' doors.

After a brief stop at the gas station and convenience store for Mercedes' requested Diet Coke, Sam drove to their next stop. It took a few minutes before Mercedes figured out exactly where they were headed.

"The lake? It is way too cold out here for all that. Can we please go somewhere indoors?"

"No way; this is like our reunion tour. We have to go everywhere. Hell, I wish the carnival was in town. I'd take you on the tilt-a-whirl again."

Mercedes smiled softly at the memory and Sam's phrasing. When they reached the lake Sam parked but kept the heater running. The young couple unbuckled and reclined their seats. They looked out on the water and remembered the days spent there; sometimes they were accompanied by Stevie and Stacey who loved to splash each other in the shallow waters. Other times Sam brought his guitar and alternated between playing tunes for Mercedes to sing and teaching her some of his favorites.

"I wish I brought my guitar," Sam sighed.

"Next best thing," Mercedes offered while turning on the radio.

Once she settled on a station, Sam leaned in for a kiss. The couple leaned over as close as possible over the console. Sam was tracing his fingers over Mercedes's form and things quickly became heated. Gasping for air, Mercedes parted from her boyfriend.

"Thirsty," she muttered.

"Your pop is in the bag," Sam panted. At that moment he remembered something important but before he could stop her, she had already opened the plastic bag that was resting by her feet. He braced himself for the onslaught but was surprised by a single scoff.

"A bit presumptuous, you think?" Mercedes tossed the box of condoms at Sam's head which he caught easily.

Sam had the grace to look sheepish, "I just thought that maybe... since we're back together... and after yesterday..."

Mercedes sat silently, sipping on her soda and listening to Sam flounder.

"Is that a no?" Sam grimaced. He had originally planned on this happening a more organically, much like the night before, but her discovery of his purchase caught him off guard.

Mercedes was quiet for a beat. "Nope," she finally answered with a flirtatious smile.

Sam grinned and began to open the box.

"Sammy! Not here!"

"Oh! Yeah, of course not."

He turned the engine over and sped off to the Hudmel home, breaking a handful of traffic laws on the way. Once they arrived, Sam playfully rushed Mercedes to the house and into his bedroom. Clothes were removed in a hurry; for the second time Sam's only good suit was left in a pile on the floor. Through muttered 'I love yous' and a tangle of limbs they worked hard to make up for lost time.

They were cuddling after round two when Mercedes noticed the time on Sam's alarm clock.

"Oh my god, it's after six o'clock! We've gotta get ready for dinner!"

Sam just tightened his grip around her waist. "Let's skip it. I'm not hungry for pasta," he replied while peppering kisses on her shoulder.

"No, Sammy," she protested. "We're going. Now get in the shower. At least you finally get to put on casual clothes."

The couple hurried through their hygiene routine but they were still the last ones to arrive at Breadstix. Hands clasped, they rushed into the restaurant and quickly spotted the large party seated at two tables pushed together. The group was radiating excitement and immersed in lively conversation. It was Mike who first noticed the approaching couple and greeted Sam with, "Dude, you're finally here!"

Cheers came up from the table which Mercedes accepted with a playful curtsey.

"Yes, The Diva has arrived. The party may now begin. And yes, Sam and I are officially back together." She held up their still clasped hands and they both grinned when the news was met with more cheers and a shout of "thank God!" from Tina. The couple removed their coats and took the last seats available next to Artie at the head of the table. As they sat down Artie caught a glimpse of several dark hickey marks along her collarbone.

"I see how you do," Artie announced, annoyed. "You told me you skipped glee for jet lag, but from where I'm sittin' it doesn't look like you got much rest at all."

"Oh, I'm sure Trouty put her to bed." Santana said. Sam responded only with a smug smile that went unnoticed by Mercedes.

"Did you get a bedtime story?" asked Brittany out of honest curiosity.

"Don't be a mess, 'Tana. Sam and I spent the day hanging out. We just got reunited, after all." Mercedes spoke brusquely.

"You must've forgotten that I live there too cuz you were audibly 'reuniting' repeatedly before I left to come here!" Kurt piped up from his seat down the table.

"Oh hell to the no! You don't get to put me on blast after I saw you and Blaine getting extra friendly in the backseat."

"That was nothing," Kurt sniffed.

"Yeah, just bros helping bros," the casual words still sounded somewhat awkward coming from Blaine's lips.

"I like this new Blaine! He even ditched the bowtie and put on socks!" Puck crowed.

"Yeah, Sam seems to have rubbed off on him," Quinn added in amusement.

"Wanky."

Hoots and laughter rang out from the table and only lessened when the server came to take their orders. Once he had left, Tina stood up claiming she needed to go wash her hands. After a pause and a pointed look, Mercedes shrugged Sam's arm off her shoulders where it was resting and stood to follow Tina to the restroom. Following the unwritten girl code, Quinn, Santana, and Brittany stood and followed while Kurt sulked and mumbled about "unfair traditions."

The girls lingered in the Breadstix restroom, washing their hands and checking their hair and makeup in the mirrors.

"'Cedes," Tina began, "I'm _so_ glad you took my advice."

"What advice?" Quinn eyes shrewdly flicked between Tina and Mercedes.

Mercedes smiled as she primped in the mirror, "Tina told me I should get a hotel room so Sam and I could hang out after the wedding."

"Oh, is that when he put you to bed?" Brittany asked. "And you never said if you got a bedtime story or not. I love when Lord Tubbington reads to me before bed. Especially when he does all the voices."

Santana approached Tina who was leaning against a stall divider. "Well, well, Girl Chang. I'm impressed. Most girls are scared to be that aggressive. I guess the meek Asian stereotype isn't true. Or the horny Asian one is."

Tina just rolled her eyes, "It's not about being aggressive, Santana. It's about being in a relationship and being in love. You should be able to say if you want to have sex or not."

"Hey, 'Tana," Mercedes called before the conversation could continue. "Sam applied to University of Louisville. If he gets in, would you mind giving him advice or something?"

"The only thing I would say is stay away from the cheerleading squad cuz those bitches would eat him alive. But he's not available now anyway so... I really wasn't in that hickville long enough to give any real advice."

"Yeah, and I do feel some kinda way about that. If you really wanted to be famous for being famous, LA's the place to go."

"Yeah, well, Brittany recommended New York and it's been good so far..." Santana trailed off and she and Brittany looked at each other with smiles that were equal parts happy and wistful. Being friends was a struggle because they truly did love each other, but they still wanted to try and live separate from the other.

"Speaking of New York, where's Rachel?" Quinn asked.

"She took off back to New York," Santana replied. "From what I got from Lady Hummel, she and Finnocence got it on last night and then she bailed."

The girls all exchanged looks and as if on cue they heard a knock on the restroom door.

"Ladies!" Kurt called, "You should come back to the table before your food gets cold. And shame on all of you for leaving me out of the girl talk. Someone better fill me in ASAP."

The friends laughed and headed out of the ladies' room. Tina grabbed Mercedes' arm before she could leave.

"Double date tomorrow?"

"No doubt, girl."

**_There you_** **_go! Sorry it's a bit short. Next chapter has a bit more Samcedes in Lima before Mercedes has to go back to LA. Please please please review because I love to hear what you think. I'll try harder to update more frequently. Thanks for reading!_**


	21. Chapter 21

**_Hello everyone! Once again, it's been a while... between a massive amount of curve balls from good ol' Real Life, a crappy internet connection, and general busyness, it's taken me a while to finish this chapter. To (hopefully) make up for it, this chapter is longer than usual, though mostly dialogue. As always, MANY THANKS to all you readers, favoriters, followers, and especially you reviewers. I do this for you and my love of Samcedes. Enjoy!_**

**_Chapter 21_**

Early the next morning Sam arrived at the Jones residence and rang the doorbell. After waiting a minute he considered ringing again, but before he could the door swung open. Standing in the doorway was the tall and broad figure of Dr. Andre Jones clad in a tee shirt, sweatpants and slippers.

"Hello, Sam," he greeted. "It's been a while!"

"Yes it has, sir. How've you been?"

"Can't complain, come on in. I know you're probably here for Babygirl but we can catch up while you wait."

Andre stood to the side so Sam could enter. It was then that he noticed that Sam was wearing a backpack and carrying a duffle bag and his guitar case.

"You moving in, son?"

Sam laughed, "No, sir. Just everything I need to hang out with MJ today."

He set his belongings to the side in the foyer and followed Andre to the kitchen. Sam took a seat while Mercedes' father poured himself a mug of coffee before holding out the carafe in a silent offer.

"No thanks, sir."

Andre put the carafe back on the warming plate before he took a seat across from Sam and took a deep gulp of his black coffee.

"So Sam, what are you and my daughter up to today?"

"Just hanging out. Though she did make me promise that we'd get some homework done."

Andre nodded; even though he didn't approve of Mercedes' move to LA and pursuit of a career in the music industry, he was proud that she was working hard. He still hadn't apologized for giving her a hard time before she left— and to be honest he wasn't certain he ever would— but he was able to admit that he was impressed at how well things were working out so far.

Sam was glad that Dr. Jones was being so friendly. The pair got on quite well for the most part; Andre had of course been cautious of trusting any teenage boy with his daughter when the couple started spending time together. After a while he saw that Sam was an honorable boy and he grew fond of him. They bonded most over sports as they both had a love for football and baseball. The breakups put a strain on their relationship because both men knew that no matter how close they became, Andre would always side with Mercedes, no matter if she was as wrong as the day was long. However, Andre was pleased that Sam beat out Shane for his daughter's affections even though the whole affair was fraught with teenage drama that he didn't have patience for— he preferred to get the abridged version from his wife, Cynthia.

But the true reason Sam was so grateful for Dr. Jones' welcome was that the last few interactions between them had been decidedly frosty. Andre blamed Sam for Mercedes' dream becoming a full-fledged plan and Sam would be lying if he said he wasn't angry at Andre's refusal to encourage his own daughter. But time and Mercedes' relative success had calmed both of their tempers. Sam assumed correctly that Andre had been informed and approved of Mercedes' reunion with the blond, but that once again their friendship was directly related to Mercedes' level of happiness.

"We're going for a jog first, though. They say blood flow is good for the brain and studying or something."

"I still can't believe you got my Babygirl running," Andre chuckled.

"Daddy! Stop hating on my fitness!" Mercedes ordered while entering the room. She made a beeline for the fridge and retrieved two bottles of water.

Sam gave his girlfriend a once-over and tried to suppress a lecherous grin at the view. She was wearing black leggings and a fitted black jacket with purple piping and accents zipped all the way up to block out the cold. On her feet were some of the most colorful running shoes Sam had ever seen. She was completely covered yet completely sexy.

"Um, young lady, what are you wearing!?" asked her father in an indignant tone.

Mercedes rolled her eyes, "Workout clothes, Daddy. Cuz we're going to work out."

"You can't work out in sweatpants? The boy's wearing sweatpants," Andre countered with a slightly pleading tone and gestured to Sam's attire.

Sam sat rooted to the spot with a panicked expression on his face. He tugged on the hem of his hoodie, uncomfortable at being mentioned in their bickering.

Mercedes raised an eyebrow at her father and walked across the kitchen. She handed the waters to Sam who was now looking back and forth between father and daughter nervously. The diva then turned to look directly at her father, holding his head in her hands to ensure that he paid attention.

"Don't do this Daddy," Mercedes said slowly with a slight smirk on her face. "You're just embarrassing yourself."

She kissed him on the forehead and patted his left cheek before turning and exiting the kitchen.

"Let's go, Sam!" She called behind her.

Sam was still staring at Dr. Jones, stunned at how effortlessly Mercedes handled the imposing man. At her call the blond looked over his shoulder and then back at Andre, not sure what to do. If it weren't for the fact that he was a grown man, one would think Andre was pouting.

"Um, sir... I..." Sam stuttered out awkwardly.

Andre silently waved Sam off. Sam took the gesture as a dismissal and sighed, relieved to leave the awkward situation.

Sam and Mercedes briefly warmed up before heading out on their jog. Sam had to run much slower than usual to keep up with Mercedes' shorter paces. However, he was still impressed with her athleticism compared to the first time he ever asked her to join him on a run and was looked at as if he had lost his mind. Thirty minutes into their jog the couple decided to head back home and slowed to a walking stride. Mercedes was the first to break the silence.

"I know we've said it a million times but I've really missed you."

"Me too. I wish you didn't have to go back."

Mercedes went silent.

"Not that you shouldn't go back," Sam added nervously.

"I know what you mean Sammy."

"Then why do you look so upset?"

"I'm not upset. Just stressed. I've got finals coming up for this quarter and I'm a little nervous."

"That's crazy; you've been acing everything so far."

"Yeah, but— I'm taking extension classes and that's all good but, I can only get a certificate from them, not a Bachelor's. I just wanna do as well as possible, and maybe after a while when everything is settled, I'll transfer my credits and do the full UCLA Bachelor's program. I feel like I should."

"_You_ feel like you should, or your _dad_ feels like you should?"

"Sam—" Mercedes started.

"No MJ, I mean, it's not bad to want to do the four year thing. You are perfectly able. I just want you to do it for you, not to please your dad." Mercedes tried to interrupt but Sam continued, "I know you're 'Daddy's little girl' but you need to think about yourself, not him. He'll be okay. Get those good grades for you, _not him_."

"You're right, babe."

"I know." They both chuckled.

"Well I can't get my A's without studying. Last one home showers last!" Mercedes took off, leaving Sam to catch up.

Sam may or may not have let her win, but he didn't regret it as it seemed to always take Mercedes an ungodly amount of time to get ready and Dr. Jones's watchful eye wouldn't let Sam head to the shower before Mercedes was fully clothed and pulling out her books at the dining room table.

Once Sam returned with slightly damp hair, Mercedes was hard at work and nibbling on some snacks courtesy of Mrs. Jones. Sam joined her and they both were studying for quite a while before Sam noticed Mercedes humming the same melody over and over again. He looked over to see his girlfriend bent over sheets of staff paper with a deeply furrowed brow.

"What's that?" Sam asked.

"Hmm?" She replied distractedly.

"Whatcha working on, MJ?"

"Oh," she let out a frustrated sigh. "This assignment for my Music Comp class. I can't master sheet music to save my life."

Sam brightened, "I can actually help you with that!" He left the room to return moments later with his guitar. "Okay, baby, let's do this."

Mercedes beamed at her boyfriend and scooted her chair closer, adjusting her papers so he could see them better. The couple tackled the assignment together, Sam strumming the strings of his guitar to help Mercedes identify the notes to mark on her paper. Sam enjoyed being able to assist her in a concrete way, and Mercedes was grateful for the help.

"You explain this way better than Puck. He's better at playing by ear than using actual sheet music."

"Puck helps you with your homework?" Sam was surprised and if he were being truthful, a little jealous that Puck was the one she went to while he was so far away.

"Yeah, but it's really helping him too. He's trying to brush up on his music reading skills cuz he's giving lessons now."

"Really?"

"Mhmm, he brought his guitar to a pool cleaning job one day and now he's giving lessons to some of his clients and their kids. Apparently everyone in California wants to learn how to play the guitar. He's moving on from chasing cougars to doing odd jobs to stay in demand. I've been not-so-subtly recommending that he go back to school to study business. He really has the skills."

"Hmm," was all Sam said as a response. He really wasn't a fan of Mercedes going to another guy for help even if he was one of his closest friends.

Mercedes noticed his abrupt tone. "Pump the brakes on the jealousy. You know Puck is completely trustworthy and I would never do you like that."

Sam gave a resigned sigh. "I know. I just wish I could be around to help you out all the time."

"I know Sammy, me too." Mercedes leaned forward to press a kiss against Sam's full lips.

They separated and Sam turned to put away his guitar. Looking back, Sam watched Mercedes flip through her glittery planner and cross out the completed assignments from her schedule. He looked over her numerous notes, finals schedule and 'spring break' written in all caps and followed by several exclamation points. It was then that a particular date and accompanying scribbling caught his eye.

"Um, Mercy babe, what is that?" Sam tapped his long index finger on the markings in question.

"Hmm?" Mercedes responded distractedly while organizing the papers spread out on the table. She looked over and translated her loopy script. "Oh... 'Rehearsal, OceanView, 10am.'"

"Yeah, I can see that," Sam replied tersely. "I meant, why do you have plans to be in LA the same day as Regionals?"

Mercedes let out a deep, frustrated sigh. She knew the subject would have to come up eventually, but she was hoping to hold it off until the date was closer. She definitely didn't want to bring it up so soon after getting back together.

"Mercedes," Sam pulled her out of her thoughts.

"I've got work the same day as Regionals. Sorry, baby." Mercedes' doe eyes locked with Sam and she tried to convey her remorse with a look. She reached over to hold his hand but he pushed it away.

"Unbelievable," he muttered.

"Sam, calm—" Mercedes started in a warning tone.

"No!" Sam interrupted, "I won't calm down! This is important to me but _clearly_ you don't care!"

"Excuse you!?"

By this time voices were raised and Cynthia Jones, who had been doing some hands-off chaperoning from the living room at Andre's request, decided it was time to intervene before either teen said something they would regret. After breaking into a mock coughing fit she heard the couple's voices hush to a whisper.

"Excuse you!?" Mercedes repeated, this time in a soft yet furious whisper.

"I'm just saying, this is the last time I'll be performing at Regionals and it would nice if you would show that you support me."

"You know I'm supporting you, I just can't be there this time. _I'm sorry_."

Sam just scoffed in response, which Mercedes met with an eye roll.

"Sam, don't be like that. I've been skipping out on my responsibilities ever since I moved to visit for anything remotely important. Grease, Sectionals, Mr. Schue's wedding— I've gotta keep track of my priorities."

"Oh, so now I'm not a priority?"

"Oh c'mon, Sam! Stop being ridiculous!"

"My feelings are ridiculous?"

"That's not what I meant! Why are you being so difficult?"

"Why are you?"

Cynthia Jones saw that it was going to take more than faux coughing to break up this whisper-fight. She put down the magazine she was reading and stood as noisily as possible. She crossed through the dining room on her way to the kitchen to distract them from the conflict.

"Sam, honey, will you be staying for dinner? I'm about to get everything started."

"No, he was just leaving," Mercedes answered for him while packing up his belongings.

Sam just glared at her for a moment, watching her clear away his things. Once Mercedes finished and was lugging his backpack and guitar to the door, the consequences of his actions began to sink in. He raced to meet her at the door.

"Mercy, no. And we have plans with Mike and Tina tonight, remember?"

"I'm not going anywhere with you talking to me like that!"

"I know, I'm sorry." Sam looked down at his feet; ashamed of the tantrum he threw only minutes before.

Mercedes took in the sulking form of her boyfriend and had pity on him. She placed his possessions next to his duffel bag in the entryway and inched closer to him. Clutching the front of his fitted shirt, she rested her head on his chest.

"I know. And I understand why you're so mad. I'm frustrated too, but there's nothing I can do about it. Traveling is expensive and requires me to move my schedule around and I can't afford to do any of that right now. I'm the newest one there and I don't want Boss-man to hate me." Mercedes chuckled but Sam didn't join in.

"No one could hate you," Mercedes felt the rumble of his voice against her cheek.

"The point is: I really, really, really want to be here to support you for Regionals, but the hard truth of it all is that I just can't be there this time. I'm sorry. Sammy, you helped get me this job; you know how much it means to me."

Sam sighed and wrapped his arms around Mercedes' waist. "I know."

"Now gimme some sugar," Mercedes reached up to Sam's shoulders and pecked him lightly. The couple separated with bittersweet smiles and brown and green eyes locked intensely. Neither one was completely happy, but they were resigned to the situation. Mercedes stepped out of their embrace, got their coats from the rack and picked up her purse.

"Okay, let's get outta here. Tina said they wanted to eat before the movie."

Sam was a little surprised, "You still want to go?"

"Yeah, I haven't been on a double date in ages. But if you're still mad I'll go without you," Mercedes smiled at her boyfriend as he got his stuff ready to go. She was still upset, but she didn't want to ruin their plans.

"Bye, Mom!" she called, "We're going out; I'll be home by midnight!"

"Alright, honey, be safe!" Cynthia called from the kitchen. She smiled to herself. _Crisis averted._

A little while later the newly reconciled couple pulled into the mall parking lot and headed to the food court to meet their friends. Tina and Mike were seated at a table in deep conversation. Or, more accurately, Tina was seated on Mike's lap and they were making out intensely.

"Hey, cool it," Sam called. "There're kids present!"

The couple came up for air and acknowledged their companions.

"Stop hating," Tina responded, "We're trying to get in as much time as possible before Mike leaves tomorrow. You two should know all about that."

Sam and Mercedes shifted uncomfortably and tried to smile and nod in agreement but the awkwardness was apparent to the other couple.

"Hey Sam," Mike said while lifting Tina from his lap, "Why don't we get the food? Ladies, you just hold the table; we'll be back soon."

"Okay, babe. Can you get me a—"

"I know what you want," Mike interrupted.

"Just make sure they—"

"Hold the mayo, _I know._"

"You see that?" Tina smiled smugly to Mercedes, "I've got him well-trained."

Mercedes turned to Sam, "I'll just have whatever you're having."

With that the boys were dismissed and once they were out of earshot Tina turned to Mercedes with a questioning look.

"What was that all about?"

"What was _what _all about?"

"'I'll just have whatever you're having,'" Tina mocked with an overly dramatic detached air.

"I didn't say it like that!"

"Whatever, the point is something is going on. You guys spent the majority of yesterday getting it on. What the hell could be the problem now?"

"Nothing really, we just had little bit of an argument before we got here. We resolved it, but it's a little awkward still because the problem is technically still there."

"What's the problem?"

"I'm going to miss Regionals because of work."

"_Oh._"

"Yeah. We're okay now, but he's still hurt and I'm still mad cuz he basically said that I was selfish."

"Ouch."

"_Yeah_."

"Well, I get where he's coming from. It really sucks to have to go through your last year of high school, basically the most important year, without your significant other. You guys have moved on and it's like we're being punished for being younger than you and Mike."

"Sam's the same age as me," Mercedes interrupted, completely missing the point. "He was held back once when he was a kid before they knew he was dyslexic."

"That just makes it worse!" Tina threw her hands up in frustration. "He's stuck in Lima while you're making your way through life in LA. The most exciting things we have going on right now are Regionals and finding out where we're going next year."

"Well you and Mike seem to be getting through it just fine."

"Well I'm lucky that his schedule isn't as crazy as yours. And we've decided that we won't spend our time together worrying about the next time we'll see each other. That stuff will figure itself out. The most important thing is to take advantage of every minute we do have together and save the other stuff for phone calls or whatever.

Mercedes sighed frustratedly and covered her face with her hands. "You're right. Sometimes I feel like I can't stop turning everything into drama."

"Well, as a diva, you're required a healthy amount of drama at all times," Tina joked. "But in all seriousness, it's no ones fault. I think you two are just used to having a certain level of stress in your relationship. I'm sure that after you get past the few months mark, you'll be fine."

"Thanks, girl."

"That's what I'm here for."

Across the food court the boys were having a conversation of their own.

"Dude, it's really good to see you," Sam said while standing back to view the overhead menus.

"Yeah, it's been a while. Though I've gotta say I really didn't expect this visit to go like it did. I still can't believe Ms. P. just bailed on the wedding."

"I know! I feel bad for Mr. Schue cuz I can only imagine that level of heartbreak, but I also feel bad because I'm more happy for Mercedes and me than I am sad for him."

"You don't look so happy," Mike said while getting in line to order. Sam followed close on his heels.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm just saying, you and 'Cedes seemed a bit distant when you got here."

Sam sighed for what felt like the millionth time that day. "Yeah, we had a little bit of a fight today. She can't visit for Regionals and I kinda flipped my shit."

"Ooh, bad move," Mike sympathized while shaking his head.

"Yeah, I realize that now. We made up, but now it's a little weird."

Mike paid for his and Tina's sodas and hamburgers, double-checking that hers didn't have mayonnaise. He turned to look at his best friend who seemed to still be miserable.

"Look, whatever you're feeling, she's feeling it too. Trust me, it's hard being away from Tina. I wanna be here for everything, but at the same time I don't really live here anymore and I need to start learning how to make Chicago my home."

"Yeah, I guess so." Sam agreed while heading to different counter to place his orders.

"My only advice is to not be too hard on her otherwise she might end up resenting her choice to move to LA. Or she might even resent doing the long distance thing."

"There's no way I'm letting that happen. I guess I'm just really disappointed; I didn't mean to get so mad at her." Sam paid for the pair of Diet Cokes and chicken caesar salads and started walking back to their table.

"Just put it behind you," Mike advised while keeping in step with the blond. "Show her that you love her and are to happy to be with her for now. Stress later."

The duo arrived at the table, put their trays down and took a seat next to their respective girlfriends. While Tina checked to make sure her hamburger was indeed sans-mayo, Mercedes turned to Sam and kissed him square on the lips. When they parted Sam gave her a surprised smile.

"I love you," she grinned. He smiled wider and pressed his own kiss on her full lips.

"I love you too," Sam countered and then bopped her on the nose.

Mercedes collapsed into giggles and Sam joined in. Tina and Mike smiled at the couple, happy that their best friends were back to being themselves.

After eating and much lively conversation, the foursome walked to the theater at the other end of the mall and purchased tickets for the next available movie. It didn't matter what they were going to see, because they were all planning on spending the two hours making out with the love of their life. When the lights went up in the theater at the end of the film the couples bid each other goodnight and went their separate ways. Mercedes and Sam took their time walking back to the parking garage, hands tightly clasped and their fingers woven together.

Once they got back to the truck Mercedes sat in the passenger seat and rummaged in her purse with a furrowed brow.

"Baby, do you have any Chapstick? I can't seem to find mine," she pouted.

"Of course," Sam replied easily. "In the glove box."

Mercedes opened the compartment to see three different sticks of Chapstick in three different flavors. She selected cherry and sighed in relief as she returned moisture to her lips.

"Lemme get some after you."

"I've got a better idea," Mercedes grinned. "Let's share." She leaned in to kiss her boyfriend once more.

The couple took their friends' advice to take advantage of every minute they had and tried to make up for the time they spent arguing. They continued their extracurricular activities for as long as possible before having to return Mercedes to her house. When they pulled up to the curb, Sam grabbed her hand before she could unbuckle her seatbelt.

"Mercy, I really am sorry for freaking out on you today. I'm just—"

"You don't need to keep apologizing. You're allowed to be upset. It does suck that I can't be there for you. I really wish I could."

"I know we kept saying that we knew that sacrifices would have to be made, it just hurts."

"I know. It really does," Mercedes agreed. "But we've gotta enjoy the time we have and worry about the other stuff later."

Sam nodded in agreement and then got out the truck and jogged to the other side to open the door for Mercedes. With one last kiss, Sam let Mercedes head inside only to grab her wrist before she could get too far. She turned back to give him a questioning look.

"Let me drive you to the airport tomorrow."

"Of course, Sammy," she smiled. "Why don't you come to church with me and my parents tomorrow too? We could spend the day together."

"I'd like that. Now get inside so your folks don't get mad at me for keeping you. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Sammy." Mercedes made her way up the porch steps and blew Sam a kiss before closing the door behind her.

Sam drove back to the Hudmel home with a smile on his face. Their argument was sorted in record time. If they kept this up, they really could stay together forever.

**_There it is, a combo of fluff and angst. (I've recently realized that I thrive on angst) Not my favorite, but a necessary chapter. The next one will be the end of Samcedes in Lima and then our favorite diva heads back to SoCal. Please, please, please let me know what you think. Your reviews help me flesh out my outline and give me life. :)_**

**_Thanks for reading!_**


	22. Chapter 22

**_Hello all, I would be remiss not to address the news about Cory. I'm still deeply saddened and in disbelief like you all probably are. I just hope that we can all respect that addiction is a disease and an ongoing struggle. It is also a lesson that there is no real "face" of addiction. Not all addicts are wild and unpredictable like we see in the media. Cory was able to hide it well, and was responsible in every other aspect of his life. It may be hard for some of us to understand, but let's try and remember the good. Also, continue to grieve in your own way. I'm lucky to have a roommate who is a gleek even more intense than me. A hard-core Lea/Rachel Stan (forgive her, lol) and she even got a chance to meet Cory backstage at the 2011 concert. She is unlucky enough that her work environment is not supportive, her coworkers cracked jokes about it the day after it happened. I hope you all have a better experience than she did, and brush off the haters. We all know how awesome Cory was! And to the authors who are worried about how they've portrayed Finn in their stories, don't be! He's a character, and I'd like to assume that we can link the characters to the writers more than the actors who portray them. It's fanfiction, and often we need an antagonist. I must say, I really wish that they weren't planning on continuing the show without him; it seems insensitive to the cast and crew, especially Lea. Please keep them all in your prayers._**

**_About this chapter: just a warning about the heavy amount of Christianity in this one... sorry, not sorry. It's a part of the canon. Sorry about the delay, but it and real life really kicked my ass. As always, a HUGE thank you to the readers, favoriters, followers, and Reviewers! You're my heroes! And now, to end the longest Author's Note in history..._**

**_Chapter 22_**

The next morning Sam stood outside Goodwill Baptist Church in khakis and a navy blue polo. He soon spotted Mercedes making her way to the building in a modest black dress. Sam took a few swift steps to meet her and scooped her up in a bear hug as a greeting. A few moments later he noticed Mercedes' parents watching them and he released her but kept one arm resting across her shoulders.

"Good morning," he greeted his girlfriend's parents with a slightly embarrassed grin.

The couple smiled, amused at his enthusiastic greeting, and nodded their hellos. The foursome headed into the church, making their way to their preferred seats in the middle of the sanctuary. They greeted members of the congregation as they passed; many were excited to see Mercedes back so soon since her visit for Christmas. Sam was introduced to family friends, or reintroduced in some cases as he had attended during the earlier days in his and Mercedes' relationship.

The service was as wonderful as Sam remembered them. The choir was lively and the whole sanctuary seemed to radiate with sincere joy. Sam sat at the end of the pew next to Mercedes, excited to hear the insightful words of Reverend Allen.

"…There are gifts, Spiritual Gifts, bestowed upon us by the Holy Spirit. Some of them have given humans the power to do supernatural things: perform miracles, have prophetic visions; we see this happen throughout the scriptures. But there are other gifts that are more natural; they are not as rare, but they are just as important. These are the gifts such as teaching, creativity, and service. Anyone can stand in front of a class, but that doesn't mean God has given them the gift of teaching. I'm sure we've all experienced an awful teacher before."

The congregation hummed in agreement and emphatic 'amen' was heard from the back of the church. A few people tittered in response.

"…We like to call them 'talents,' but when someone is truly gifted, people take notice. Lives can be influenced and changed, and that is precisely why the Spirit has given them to us! We all need to find our Spiritual Gift; it won't always be performing miracles, but God has given something to us all. And once we've found it, use it! Like the old gospel song goes, 'This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.' Treat your gift as your light; share it and use it to further God's Kingdom. That's why He gave it to you!"

Sam sat riveted by the enthusiasm of the Reverend. It was true, God-given talent should never go to waste, and he needed to be sure that he never wasted his. Sports were fun, as was music, he knew he was good at them, but he never considered himself great. The one thing he was passionate about, the one thing he could honestly say he excelled in, was art. _I've got to find a way to use it, to share it. Just like Mercedes needs to share her music. Her voice is a gift, without a doubt._

It was as if Reverend Allen read Sam's mind because after he closed his sermon he made an announcement.

"Now, I was going to give the benediction now, but I've realized that we've got someone special visiting from out of town. Brother Andre and Sister Cynthia Jones' daughter Mercedes is here from sunny California!" The congregation applauded. "King David was given the gift of music, and Miss Jones was too. Would you please bless us with you're voice today?"

Mercedes blushed from being put on the spot. The congregation applauded in encouragement and Sam poked her in the ribs to spur her forward. They exchanged a brief smile before she stood and slipped past Sam and up to platform of the sanctuary. She conferred with the choir leader for a moment before stepping up to the microphone.

_"Bless the Lord, Oh my soul..."_

Sam watched his girlfriend as she sang backed by the choir. She was in her element and every person in the room felt the power of her voice. He knew that she was destined to share her voice with the rest of the world.

Once Mercedes returned to her seat and the benediction was said, the congregation was dismissed. Sam and the Jones family left for lunch at the house; Andre and Cynthia pulled away from the curb first, and Sam and Mercedes followed.

"You sang beautifully in there," Sam commented as he kept pace with Dr. Jones' SUV. "Not that you don't always. But I feel like you keep getting better. You blew me away at Schue's wedding."

"Thanks, Sammy. Between school and work I'm getting all the formal training I could ever want. I'm blessed."

"Yes, you are. Reverend Allen is right. Your voice is a gift from God and I'm happy you're able use it. So again, sorry for my freakout yesterday."

"Sammy, baby, you really need to stop apologizing. Everything's good now. And I really should have told you as soon as I found out anyway." Mercedes laid a kiss on Sam's cheek and flashed him a big smile.

Sam smiled back and grasped her hand. The short drive from the church was coming to a close and Sam put the truck in park in front of the two-story house. When the couple entered, they could hear Cynthia singing songs from the service to herself in the kitchen. Sam and Mercedes went over to check in.

"Hey, Mama," Mercedes called, "Need any help?"

"Sure, baby! Sam, honey, you can go ahead to the den. Andre has some game or another on."

Sam made his exit and Mercedes went to the sink to wash her hands. The Jones women worked in tandem, a familiar routine from Mercedes' childhood. Cynthia put the chicken in the oven to roast while Mercedes seasoned the green beans. All the while the two chatted and caught up on the most recent gossip. By the time Mercedes finished setting the table, she caved and finally broached the topic she'd been waiting for.

"Momma, why haven't you said anything about me and Sam's fight? You obviously heard us."

"Honey, that was no fight," Cynthia scoffed. "That was an argument. Arguments are natural. If you never argue, then you aren't being honest with each other. The important thing is to resolve all your disagreements. And judging by the fact that you barely got home on time last night and the way you two looked at each other today, it seems like everything is just fine."

Mercedes just smiled. There was something about being validated by her mother that put all lingering concerns to rest.

Once the chicken was finished and she had popped the biscuits in the oven to warm, Cynthia called her husband and Sam to wash up. They all sat at the table and said grace before digging in.

This was nowhere near Sam's first time eating at the Joneses, so everything was comfortable and routine. Conversation was lively and transitioned smoothly between serious discussion and lighthearted dialogue. Mr. and Mrs. Jones wanted to know everything that was happening with Sam and his family. He appreciated the attention but preferred that Mercedes talked about her own goings-on since she was due to leave in a few hours.

The meal dragged on as long as possible; all the participants were unwilling for their time to end. Cynthia offered seconds, then dessert, tea, and coffee in a desperate attempt to prolong their luncheon bubble. Andre glanced at his wristwatch as he had done repeatedly throughout the meal. This time, however, he addressed what everyone was studiously ignoring.

"Well, Babygirl," he sighed, "I think it's about time you head out. You got everything packed?"

"Yes, Daddy," Mercedes replied softly. She looked over at Sam who was doing his best to keep the sadness off his face. "Sam's driving me to the airport. Is that okay?"

"Sure it is, Baby," Cynthia spoke up. Andre was usually the one who would drop Mercedes off, but she knew that the teens needed those last moments together in private. A pointed look kept Andre from objecting.

Mercedes smiled briefly before heading up to her room to grab her suitcase and quickly change into travel-appropriate clothes. When she returned, Sam was finishing clearing the table while her parents were talking in hushed tones in a corner of the living room.

"Okay, I'm ready," Mercedes announced from the bottom of the stairs.

Cynthia and Andre looked over at her with sad smiles. Sam recognized that look well from every time he left Kentucky to return to Lima. He stacked the last of the dishes and wiped his hands on a napkin before crossing over to the stairway.

"Here, MJ, I'll take your bag and warm up the truck." Sam put on his coat and took the handle of the heavy suitcase out of his girlfriend's hand.

Once Sam had left, both her parents came over and wrapped her in a hug on both sides. They muttered directives to stay safe and to contact them when she landed. Mercedes agreed and eventually broke away, wiping stray tears from her eyes. Leaving was always hard. She didn't regret her move to Los Angeles, not for one second, but the Joneses were tight-knit and she found herself once again wishing that LA and Ohio were just a bit closer.

I love yous were exchanged and Mercedes finally made it out the door to return to her new home. As always, Sam got out of the truck to assist Mercedes in taking the big step up. He took advantage of his position with his hands on her hips and laid a solid smack on her ass.

"Sam!" Mercedes shrieked.

"What? I couldn't help it. Your ass calls to me. 'Sam! Saaaam! Touch me!'"

"You're crazy," Mercedes laughed.

"Crazy about you," he smiled and kissed her briefly, happy to have returned the smile to her face. Sam jogged around to the driver's side, hopped in and pulled off. He let Mercedes have control of the radio and tried to be as jovial as possible. The drive to Dayton International Airport went by too quickly and soon Sam was pulling up to the curb for departures. He took off his seatbelt and turned to Mercedes.

"So... I was thinking," Sam started slowly.

"Hmm?" Mercedes responded distractedly while rummaging through her bag for her ID.

"Well... After Regionals is spring break so I could—"

"Nope!" Mercedes turned to give him her full attention.

"What?! You don't even know what I was going to say!"

"Yes, I do. And my answer is still 'no.' You need to check out colleges, visit family. You haven't seen them since the beginning of January. I know you miss them and it'll only be worse by the time spring break comes around."

"Fine," Sam sighed. "So will I _ever_ get to see you again?" He had no interest in starting another argument but he couldn't keep the sarcasm out of his tone.

"Well of course I'll be there for graduation. But I was kinda hoping you'd ask me to prom."

A grin returned to Sam's face. "Of course. It's kinda our thing. But now I feel cheated because technically you've asked me twice and I've only asked you once."

Mercedes laughed and leaned over to kiss away Sam's pout. He deepened it, running his tongue along her lower lip before entering her mouth. Mercedes let out a sigh and reached up to grasp his shoulders. Sam's broad hands held his girlfriend close; one cupped her face while the other took residence at her waist. After few moments they were interrupted by a knock on the driver's window. The couple parted, gasping for air and looked towards the glass where a TSA officer was signaling them to leave.

"Drop-offs only. No standing," he called through the glass.

The couple blushed lightly and exited the truck quickly. Mercedes hopped out before Sam could make his way to her door. He hefted her suitcase out of the bed of the truck and set it in front of her.

They paused silently. Sad brown eyes met equally sad green ones. Sam pulled Mercedes into a fierce hug and whispered in her ear.

"I love you and I'll miss you."

"I love you and I'll miss you too," she muttered through sniffles.

Sam released her and wiped a tear from her cheek. "Alright," he sighed. "You've gotta go. Be amazing."

Mercedes nodded with half a smile. "Call, text, and Skype?"

"Always."

Mercedes made her way into the airport, rolling her suitcase behind her. Sam got back into the truck before the TSA officer could reprimand him again. He turned to look at the glass doors his love had passed through. Mercedes had stopped in her stride to turn give a small wave. Sam waved back, though he doubted she could see him. He waited until she had walked out of sight, and with a last deep sigh he pulled away.

**_/_**

"Good Morning!" Mercedes practically sang as she entered the offices of OceanView Records Monday morning.

Rhesa and Damon, who were chatting excitedly in the hallway in front of the sound room, turned at her greeting.

"Hey girl, good trip?"

"Of course it was, look at her! She clearly got laid."

"Yes, Rhesa it was a great trip. Damon, shut up."

Mercedes' friends laughed at her response.

"Well, he has a point. You're definitely glowing."

A shy smile crept onto Mercedes' face. "Sam and I got back together."

Damon and Rhesa cheered at her good news.

"I'm so happy for you, Divette!"

"See? I knew it. Laid. Cuz when you left you were Miss Mopes-A-Lot and now you're all Little Miss Sunshine. And Daisies."

"Jealousy does not become you," Mercedes retorted good-naturedly in a singsong tone.

"Maybe he's jealous but I'm not. I had my own eventful V-Day." Rhesa announced with a wide smile. She held up her left hand to show a healthy-sized diamond and spangled band resting on her slim caramel-colored ring finger.

"Ohmigod!" Mercedes squealed. "Girl, that is gorgeous!" She grasped her friend's hand and examined the ring more closely.

"I know, Sean did good. I haven't been able to stop looking at it since he popped the question."

"How did he do it?" Mercedes was breathless in anticipation of Rhesa's romantic story.

"I was just telling Damon, but you've gotta tell me the story of you and Sam after," Rhesa said before launching into her story. She regaled her coworkers with her account of Sean's meticulously planned scavenger hunt that lead her to her now fiancé on bended knee.

Damon and Mercedes gasped and cooed at all the right times. Just as Rhesa finished her story, Day'jon summoned the trio into the sound room. Just before Mercedes entered she was stopped by someone calling her name. She turned around to see Thomas half-jogging towards her while balancing the morning's round of coffee on top of a thick folder.

"Mercedes! Wait! Can I, um, talk to you for a minute?" He panted.

Mercedes turned to her Rhesa and Damon who were giggling at the scene.

"Shut up. Tell Day'jon I'll be there in a second." She pushed her friends into the room and headed over to meet Thomas before he could spill the coffee and papers all over the hallway.

"Hey, Thomas. What's up?" Mercedes asked with a half-smile. The young man's awkwardness made her uncomfortable, but she made an intentional effort to be nice to him.

"Hey, M-m-mercedes," Thomas seemed to increase in nervousness as she got closer. "I w-was wondering, um— I w-wanted to know if— Well, I d-dunno if you're interested b-but..."

Mercedes decided to put him out of his misery. Holding up one hand she signaled him to stop talking.

"I'm really flattered, Thomas," She started with a regretful smile. "But I just got back together with my boyfriend. You're really great, but I can't date you. I hope you'll understand?"

Mercedes looked up at him with wide eyes, searching his face for a response. Thomas furrowed his brow, blinked once, gulped, and finished with a sigh.

"Um, yeah. I d-didn't—"

"There's no way you would've known," she hurriedly assured him. "No hard feelings?"

"Of course not. Just, um... Never mind."

Thomas slouched toward the sound room door and Mercedes followed after him. She felt uncomfortable; she was still quite inexperienced at shooting down a potential suitor.

_Well, _that _was awkward. He seemed to take it okay, though. Sam always said other guys were checkin' for me. I guess he was right._

_**Okay, so it's not the longest or most riveting chapter I've written, but it's all there for a reason.**_

_**As for the song Mercedes sang, "Bless The Lord, Oh My Soul," there are many versions of it, and it's based on Psalm 103, authored by King David. (Sorry, way more info than necessary... it's the Pastor's Kid in me.)**_

_**And as always, PLEASE PLEASE review! It really helps to let me know what you think. Yes, you!**_


	23. NOT A CHAPTER, just an Author's Note

I'm am definitely not a fan of updating w/ Author's Notes instead of actual chapters... I feel like I'm playing with your emotions. However, I feel the need to give you a heads up about the inevitable delay in the next update.

So, I tend to write my chapters at random intervals when inspiration strikes, sometimes out of order and through various mediums: on my computer, on paper, and on my phone. Through a series of events (that involve alcohol) I left my phone in the back of a cab. (My bad.)

Unfortunately, part of the Notes feature and the app I was using to write and save my work did not sync and transfer to my new phone so my outline, much of the upcoming two chapters, and part of a one-shot are lost. (Biggest bummer ever.) I think I remember most of it, but between the setback and the disappointment it could take me a while. (Not that I was the most punctual anyway, lol)

Anyway, I just wanted to give you, my faithful readers, a heads up.

Sorry, and wish me luck!

-Jo


End file.
